Sleepliness During the Daytime

 

Sleep research suggests that regularly spaced short naps may be advantageous during the day.  However, for most of us, work and other normal daily routines do not allow for this.  In fact, getting sleepy during our work routine or while operating a motor vehicle can have detrimental if not deadly consequences.  Sleep deprivation is a major cause of motor vehicle accidents and it can impair the human brain as much as alcohol can. 

 

According to the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School and in a national poll by the National Sleep Foundation, 250,000 drivers fall asleep at the wheel every day, resulting in 1,550 deaths and 40,000 injuries annually in the United States.  When a person does not get adequate sleep, the ability to function is affected.  Coordination, reaction time, memory and judgment are impaired.

 

 

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