"We found that chronically sleep-deprived individuals don't perceive themselves as being excessively sleepy and thus don't perceive themselves as impaired," said lead author Daniel Gottlieb, MD, MPH, associate physician in the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders. "This resulted in an increased risk of motor vehicle crashes in sleep-deprived individuals."
Some signs of sleep deprivation to look out for:
- Frequent yawning or blinking.
- Difficulty remembering the recent miles you drove.
- Missing an exit.
- Lane drifting.
- Driving onto a rumble strip.
- Difficulty concentrating and impaired performance.
- Memory and thinking problems.
- Disorientation, hallucinations, and paranoia.
- Mood changes.