Drowsiness, irritability, lack of motivation, difficulty concentrating… lack of sleep significantly affects our well-being and performance. But that can have catastrophic consequences when it comes to hitting the road. For the first time in France, researchers have quantified the risk of an accident among drivers who have not slept enough. “On the eve of the first major weekend of holiday departures, the results underline the importance of good sleep hygiene for everyone’s safety”, emphasizes Éric Lemaire, vice-president of Assurance Prévention, the association of France Insurers.
The risk of a road accident would be multiplied by six in the event of shortened nights, reveals this new study carried out under the direction of Patrick Lévy, pulmonologist and professor of physiology at the University of Grenoble, and Maxime Elbaz, doctor in neurosciences. To achieve this result, the researchers recruited 25 healthy participants who had a regular sleep of 7 to 8 hours per night. They placed them in real-life highway driving conditions using a simulator and analyzed their performance under different sleep conditions. Of a total of fourteen nights, the participants had slept normally for the first 13. The last night was cut short by about 4 hours.
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The results are clear: with an average of 4 hours of sleep, compared to usually just over 7 hours, 24% of the subjects were victims of an accident in the simulator. In addition, the study revealed that 67% of accident subjects had previously experienced loss of alertness. “They took much longer to perform simple tasks, such as turning off a light signal that appeared on the screen,” explains Éric Lemaire. But the most shocking thing is that some accidents have happened within 12 minutes of getting behind the wheel after just one too short night! “It’s treacherous because it shows how helpless we are in the face of lack of sleep,” he adds.
It impairs alertness, reaction time and coordination. Drivers are more likely to fall asleep at the wheel, make errors in judgement, react more slowly to emergencies, and fail to pay attention to long-duration tasks. For example, we tend to be more easily distracted by cell phones, passenger conversations, music, radio, and movement in the landscape.
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Faced with this observation, health professionals are giving a reminder of what to do before setting off on the road. First, and this is not new, it is strongly advised to sleep at least 7 to 8 hours in order to maintain optimal functioning during the day. However, many people are unable to maintain it due to professional, family or social constraints, to which are sometimes added psychological antecedents such as depressive states and sleep disorders (insomnia, etc.). “Often also, before going on vacation, we cut short our sleep time because we are in a hurry to finish our work and pack our bags. We tell ourselves that by leaving a little earlier, we will have a chance to avoid traffic jams,” explains Éric Lemaire. “But in the rush we must not overlook the potential consequences of hypovigilance which is real and sneaky”.
Quality sleep starts with establishing a routine before going to bed, such as avoiding screens or creating an environment conducive to rest in a dark and quiet bedroom. In the long term, the practice of regular physical activity can also be beneficial. Also remember some good practices to avoid drowsiness or loss of alertness: stay well hydrated and eat properly by avoiding heavy meals, and take breaks every 2 hours or more if necessary. Doctors strongly recommend stopping as soon as signs of drowsiness are felt such as tingling in the eyes, sudden pain between the neck and shoulders, or repeated yawning.
