It's time to wake up to the importance of sleep disorders
Article Abstract:
Ignoring sleep disorders can have a significant effect on the health of the population. As society has become more technologically complex, the consequences of sleep disorders such as insomnia, poor-quality sleep and sleep deprivation have become more severe. Shift workers are up to five times more likely to fall asleep while on the job than day workers. Fatigue and drowsiness at work can lead to catastrophe and increases workers' stress and irritability and risk of heart disease. Sleep loss and drowsiness are thought to play a role in 200,000 to 400,000 car accidents every year. It is estimated that insomnia affects 20% to 40% of adults, yet only 5% of them actually seek medical treatment for their disorder. Individuals suffering from sleep disorders should be encouraged to report their symptoms to their physicians, and the medical community should take a more active role in diagnosing and treating these disorders.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1993
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The sleep of long-haul truck drivers
Article Abstract:
Many long-distance truck drivers are not getting enough sleep and some may even get drowsy while driving. This was the conclusion of a study that used physiologic electrodes and video cameras to monitor 80 long-distance truck drivers. Over a four- or five-day trip, the drivers got an average of 5 hours of sleep per day, as verified by the electrodes. This was two hours less than their preferred sleep pattern. Many drivers took short naps to make up for this. No crashes or other accidents occurred, but video monitors showed that over half the drivers became drowsy while driving on at least one occasion.
Publication Name: The New England Journal of Medicine
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0028-4793
Year: 1997
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The perils of drowsy driving
Article Abstract:
More research is needed on the effects of driving while drowsy and ways to prevent it. A 1997 study of 80 long-distance truck drivers found that many did not get enough sleep and some became drowsy while driving. Other studies have shown that sleep deprivation can affect a driver as much as alcohol. In the US, two organizations concerned with drowsy driving have been started by the parents of people killed by a drowsy driver. Most people frown on drunk driving but have no strong feeling about drowsy driving. Much of this is attributed to the fact that people are not educated about sleep deprivation.
Publication Name: The New England Journal of Medicine
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0028-4793
Year: 1997
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