You can die from this kind of sleep

Deadly microsleep
German sleep researchers warn of the microsleep while driving a car. According to them, it costs twice as many lives as drinking and driving.

Every fourth person sleeps while driving

The German Road Safety Council (DVR) found that one in four motorists and one in four drivers fell asleep at least once while driving.

Secondsleep at the wheel often ends up in the cemetery, even twice as often as driving alcohol. Image: Pictures4you - fotolia

Twice the deaths of alcohol

Hans-Günter Weeß from the German Society for Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine (DGSM) says: "Scientific studies suggest that more than twice as many people die on German roads because of microsleep at the wheel as a result of drunk driving."

Which situations promote sleep at the wheel??

Weeß explains: "This includes the duration of insomnia, the time of day and the situation. For example, the likelihood of a microsleep after a night of sleep is particularly high in the early morning hours between four and seven and in monotonous situations such as on the highway. "

Risk insomnia

Insomnia increases the risk of falling asleep. The probability of only four hours of sleep is 4.3 times higher than after seven or more hours, in less than 4 hours it is even 11.5 times higher.

Like alcohol

The doctor Prof. Dr. med. Maritta Orth says: "Drowsiness is similar to alcohol when driving a car. Already 17 hours without sleep affect the reactivity as 0.5 per thousand alcohol in the blood, 22 hours without sleep already act like 1.0 per thousand alcohol in the blood. "Is an insomniac more vulnerable than someone who suffers from alcoholism?

Sleep disorders affect the ability to drive

Not only microsleep is a risk, also sleep disorders disturb an attentive driving. Alfred Wiater of the DGSM emphasizes: "Regular sleep deprivation can lead to an increased risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, to mental disorders and to a decline in performance and concentration. The latter mainly affects driving a car. "

Why is drowsiness dangerous when driving a car??

Anne-Sophie Börries of DVR says what fatigue driving means. This includes, for example, lack of concentration: "Drowsiness negatively influences the awareness of dangers, the ability to react and the ability to concentrate, so that the current speed, distances traveled and future distances can be misjudged."

How does microsleep develop??

The main causes of microsleep are insomnia, insomnia and lack of sleep.

Other factors?

Weeß lists other causes: "But also physical illness, drug effects, climatic conditions, the distance, the time of day, the day of the week, and the equipment of the vehicle must be considered as additional factors in the development of tiredness at the wheel."

drugs

Also, nearly 20% of approved drugs interfere with driving performance by slowing performance and causing fatigue.

Medicines as an accident cause

Weeß says, "Based on expert opinion and cautious scientific estimates, we can assume that many traffic accidents occur with the involvement of medicines, especially psychotropic drugs." (Dr. Utz Anhalt)