The wailing of a police car somewhere woke me up from a trance-like state as I was driving from Susupe on my way to Garapan one night a couple of weeks ago. I peeked at the rearview mirror who was it this time and was dismayed to see that the police car was tailing me and there were no other cars on the road.
Alarmed, I moved to the outer lane and slowed down. The police car followed me to the outer lane and I kept driving toward the multi-purpose center, braking abruptly after almost going over the cement block at the parking space when the police car honked its horn.
It was my first time to be pulled over and I was wondering what my violation was.
The police officer peeked at my half-open window and asked if I was drunk. I said no and asked what was wrong.
“You were driving in between the two lanes ma’am. Can’t you see the road?” he asked me.
I groaned inwardly and said I was not aware of it and that I was just very tired. He suggested that I take a short nap before driving home but released me after I promised to stay awake and drive home safe. My senses were fully alert for the rest of the way and there was no chance I was going to fall asleep, not after I just had my first experience being pulled over.
I didn’t get any sleep the previous night, working until morning in the computer and went straight to the airport to catch the first flight to Tinian, went straight to work at the office in the afternoon, and proceeded to a meeting until 11 p.m. With no appetite to eat, I only had cup after cup of coffee for the whole day. I realized I didn’t even get a short nap for the past 40 hours. It came to a point when I was sure I was wide awake staring at the road but my mind may have shut off. Luckily, there were no other cars on the road or I did not crash the car anywhere or else I would have been in the headline for the next day’s papers.
In today’s fast-paced world, people cut back on sleep and are stretching the days longer to have more time to work without getting enough sleep like they used to when internet and cable were not yet around.
Studies show that within just two days of no sleep, one’s senses may be impaired the same as a person who has a blood alcohol level of 0.05.
The National Sleep Association states that 47 million adults in the United States are not getting enough sleep.
The most common short-term effects of sleep deprivation include droopy eyes, irritability, weakness, slower reaction times, disorientation, inability to make decisions and more. When you drive, these symptoms make the perfect recipe for disaster.
Clutching a cup of coffee to stay awake would only temporarily help you. Statistics continue to show grim figures of thousands of road accidents and deaths caused by lack of sleep.
Do you have problems falling asleep? Don’t take it for granted because it could be a sign of other medical problems. Sleep deprivation is a health risk that needs medical attention.
The best way to avoid the effects of lack of sleep is to sleep, and you can do this without the aid of medications. Some people set their body’s internal clock and go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. Others perform a calming ritual before going to bed. There are a hundred and one ways to help you fall asleep but if you tried and still fail to fall asleep, it’s time to consult a doctor to check the problem before you suffer the long-term effects of sleep deprivation.
This is just scratching the surface of the short term effects of lack of sleep. If you are sleep-deprived, find someone else to drive for you. Don’t risk it or be the latest addition to the statistics. Fatigue is dangerous.
Facts and Statistics
• Vehicular crashes are the third leading cause of death and injury in the United States, and up to 20 percent of them are sleep related.
• Untreated sleep apnea causes 500,000 motor vehicle crashes annually.
• Sleep loss of four hours is equivalent to being drunk with a blood alcohol level of 0.1 percent.
• Up to 15 percent of people “sleep walk.” Sleepwalking is called somnambulism.
• Approximately 15 percent of people have restless leg syndrome.
• One in 20 men has sleep apnea.
• The National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research says that on any given day a substantial number of Americans are functionally handicapped by sleep deprivation.
• The National Sleep Foundation says that two-thirds of American adults report a sleep-related problem.
• The Census Bureau Statistics says that in 2010, an estimated 79 million Americans have difficulty falling asleep.
