How Sleep Deprivation Affects Your Ability to Drive
美国学院of Sleep Medicine (AASM) considers drowsy driving to be a serious public health concern. A policy statement issued by the association claims that driving while sleep deprived can have the same consequences as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
How serious is the problem?
According to the AASM, 328,000 crashes annually in the U.S. can be blamed on drowsy driving, including 6,400 fatal crashes — and those aged between 16 and 24 are most at risk.
A 2014 study conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that 21 percent of all crashes in which a person was killed involved a drowsy driver.
为什么睡眠会影响我们的开车能力？
When we are drowsy, we are less alert and attentive. As a result, reaction times and decision-making skills suffer.
Making the risk even greater is the fact that drowsy driving can be hard to identify; the AASM revealed that some drivers weren't even aware they had fallen asleep at the wheel, even if they were asleep for a few minutes.
Is a specific driving skill affected?
A 2016 European study published inBiological Psychologyset out to determine how sleep deprivation affects driving performance.
Researchers recruited 16 healthy male and female volunteers. Each participant:
Possessed a valid driving license for at least four years
平均每年至少5,000公里（3,100英里）的驾驶经验
体重指数在19到29之间
Enjoyed good sleep quality as measured by the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index
Was required to abstain from drug or alcohol abuse, smoking, and excessive caffeine consumption (defined as six or more cups of coffee per day)
Participants were not permitted to be a part of the study if they:
Were shift workers
Had a history of a sleep disorder
是极端的早晨或晚餐
Had any history of psychiatric or medical illness
Were abusing alcohol (or had a history of doing so)
Were using psychoactive medication
每个参与者在高速公路上驾驶100公里（60英里），伴随着许可的驾驶教练。除了通过较慢的车辆时，参与者在其驾驶通道中保持恒定速度和稳定的位置。
参与者在正常睡眠之后的一夜之后持续了常规，并在整个睡眠剥夺的一夜。
Researchers found that compared to drivers who had enjoyed a night of normal sleep,睡眠贫困司机的能力较低，能够维持其驾驶轨迹。换句话说，睡眠剥夺了司机在道路上编织而不是睡得好的司机。
Interestingly, the study found that when drivers approached the halfway point and the endpoint of the driving task, they weaved less. As the authors of the study pointed out, this may suggest that even a short break during driving could improve driving performance.
值得注意的是，七个睡眠剥夺驾驶测试过早地终止。在一个情况下，驾驶教练判断参与者太昏昏欲睡，无法安全地继续驾驶。在其余情况下，参与者本身觉得昏昏欲睡，以便以安全的方式继续驾驶。
Pay attention to the warning signs
由于可以在短时间内在车轮上睡着而不意识到这一点，因此意识到令人昏昏欲睡的症状是很好的。这些包括：
Frequent yawning
Drifting out of your lane
失踪的道路转弯或标志
Difficulty maintaining your speed
Difficulty keeping your eyes open
无法记住驾驶最后几英里
If you notice any of these symptoms, it's important to pull over and rest. As the 2016 study suggested, even a small break can be helpful.
事实上,一个专家小组由国家组装Center on Sleep Disorders Research and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggested thata nap of just 15 to 20 minutes can make a short-term difference in driving alertness。
确保如果您计划长途旅行，您预先睡眠了。如果他们感觉比你感觉更多的乘客，它也会有助于与其他乘客分享驾驶。
让睡眠优先
Sleep quality is important throughout our lives; not just before a car journey! If you are living with sleep issues, don't ignore them — seek help and you could improve many more aspects of your life, including your overall health.
马丁是失眠土地免费失眠的创造者sleep training for adults。His online course uses CBT techniques to teach participantshow to fall asleep__ without relying on sleeping pills. More than 4,000 insomniacs have completed his course and 97 percent of graduates say they would recommend it to a friend.
