SLEEPY DRIVERS, SLIPPERY ROADS –

A BAD WINTER MIX

December 20, 2003

The winter months can pose unique and sometimes dangerous challenges for drivers. Shorter days and more hours of darkness may cause people to feel sleepy earlier in the day, and too often, behind the wheel. Some medications taken for the winter flu can also cause daytime sleepiness, according to Margaret Schaffter, manager of The Bellevue Hospital’s Sleep Disorders Lab.

“You don’t want to feel sleepy behind the wheel at any time, but in winter, when you can have the addition of messy weather that causes slippery roads, not being fully alert can be particularly dangerous,” said Schaffter.

Sunlight or other bright light helps adjust our body clocks or circadian rhythms and keep us awake. Darkness, which occurs earlier in the evening during winter months, has the opposite effect. Darkness results in the release of melatonin, which may act in promoting sleepiness.

One winter problem affecting as many as six of every 100 people in the United States is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), an extreme form of the “winter blues.” SAD can make a normally alert person overly tired, which researchers believe may be caused by the body’s reaction to a lack of sunlight during the winter months.

The flu season may cause many Americans to turn to over the counter medications to help them cope with their symptoms – but these drugs have side effects. Certain cold and allergy medicines have active ingredients that can cause sleeplessness at night and sleepiness during the day. It is important to read labels and know the possible side effects of any medications you take.

About one-half of America’s adult drivers – an estimated 100 million – say they have driven while drowsy, according to a National Sleep Foundation poll. Two in 10, about 32 million, say they have actually fallen asleep at the wheel. Those most at risk are young adults, 18-29. Nearly three-quarters of young adult drivers say they have driven while drowsy.

Being sleep behind the wheel can have the same affects as being drunk. “Research shows that being awake for more than 18 hours produces an impairment equal to being legally drunk,” says Richard L. Gelula, executive director of the National Sleep Foundation. “When days are stretched by long work hours and social gatherings, if you get up at 6 a.m. and go to sleep at midnight, you are awake for 18 hours. It is a schedule that too many people follow.”

If you are driving and start to yawn excessively, have trouble keeping your head up, or have difficulty focusing or keeping your eyes open, you may be at risk for “micro-sleeps” or falling asleep behind the wheel. It is important to recognize these signs and find a safe place to stop as soon as possible and when possible, have a companion take over. A 15-20 minute nap can be helpful. Caffeine from coffee or energy drinks can promote short-term alertness, but it takes about 30 minutes for caffeine to enter the bloodstream; take your nap while waiting for the caffeine to kick in.

More information about drowsy driving can be found at www.drowsydriving.org. Information about sleep and sleep disorders can be found at www.sleepfoundation.org.

Locally, The Bellevue Hospital’s Sleep Disorders Lab is located at 855 W. Main Street. Phone number is (419) 483-4040, Extension 4244.

SLEEPY DRIVERS, SLIPPERY ROADS –

A BAD WINTER MIX

The Bellevue Hospital, 1400 W. Main Street - P O Box 8004, Bellevue, Ohio 44811-8004 419-483-4040 Last modified: 11/11/04

The Bellevue Hospital, 1400 W. Main Street - P O Box 8004, Bellevue, Ohio 44811-8004 419-483-4040
Last modified: 11/11/04