Garland, Texas, February 4, 2008 (CaymanMama) – The road is long and the night is quiet and dark. When a driver is behind the wheel with lack of sleep and restful rejuvenation, the consequence of such a sleep disorder can be dangerous if not fatal. According to a 2005 taken in 2005 from the National Sleep Foundation, a staggering 103 million drivers reported drifting off behind the wheel.
At first thought, most people consider drinking and driving to be the most dangerous thing one can do behind the wheel of a two ton vehicle. But when sleepiness is added to the mix, it can result in a dangerous combination. With many of the same effects of alcohol, sleepiness decreases awareness, impairs judgment, slows reaction time, and overall increases the risk of crashing. Even more staggering is the fact that nearly 100,000 crashes are caused annually by fatigued drivers.
According to DrowsyDriving.org, “there are many underlying causes of sleepiness, fatigue and drowsy driving. Including sleep loss from restriction or too little sleep, interruption or fragmented sleep; chronic sleep debt; circadian factors associated with driving patterns or work schedules; undiagnosed or untreated sleep disorders; time spent on a task; the use of sedating medications; and the consumption of alcohol when already tired. These factors have cumulative effects and a combination of any of these can greatly increase one's risk for a fatigue-related crash.”
So it may be the long days at the office or the stress of bills piling up, but for many, sleep disorders can lead to a long and frightening stream of results that could have them end up in the hospital—or worse. Contact a physician or a sleep specialist for more information regarding sleep disorders and the prevention of the dangerous game of counting sheep.
This report brought to you by Sleep Trends Diagnostic Centers in Garland, Texas through news marketing by CaymanMama.com
For information call: Visit the Garland center at:: 2046 Forest Lane, Suite 110, Garland Texas 75042 or call - phone: 972.276.7063
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