A healthy adult needs seven to nine hours of sleep in order to function at their best on the next day, while children and teenagers need more sleep -- about 8 to 10 hours -- every night. While previous studies showed that excessive sleep can impair brain function, just as much as sleep deprivation, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital focused on another relationship involving naptime rituals -- how chronic lack of sleep affects the risk of car-related accidents.

Chronic Sleep Deprivation Increases Risk of Car Crash

Sleep deprivation causes negative effects on human health. When someone doesn't get enough sleep, they are likely to feel drained and grumpy the next day. This is because the body did not have enough time to clear out waste and repair cells. This chronic lack of sleep can be detrimental to the following organ systems of the body:

- Central Nervous System: Adequate sleep allows the brain to remember and process new information. Lack of sleep causes adverse effects in short term and long term memories. Moreover, cognitive functions such as concentration, creativity, and problem-solving are severed by inadequate sleep. People who suffer from the effects of inadequate rest are prone to mental health problems like anxiety and depression.

- Cardiovascular System: Stress hormones run throughout the body to perform certain functions. However, persistent lack of sleep can impair the body's natural ability to regulate these hormones. Excessive stress hormones in the body can cause high blood pressure.

- Immune System: Certain chemicals act as protective barriers against infections from bacteria and viruses. Cytokines are substances that manage immune cells for them to function properly. Lack of sleep decreases the cytokines that impair immune function in the body. People who are deprived of sleep are prone to infections such as the common cold.

- Endocrine System: While the pancreas interacts with the digestive system, it remains as an endocrine gland. It produces vital hormones, such as insulin and glucagon, used by the body for metabolism. And people who do not get enough sleep every day are prone to develop type 2 diabetes.

- Reproductive System: Sufficient amount of sleep plays a major role in fertility. It helps the body regulate the reproductive cycle in women and maintains testosterone levels in men.

With of all these potential adverse effects of sleep deprivation on the body, researchers at BWH focused on cognitive function that can influence driving skills.

"We found that chronically sleep-deprived individuals don't perceive themselves as being excessively sleepy and thus don't perceive themselves as impaired. This resulted in an increased risk of motor vehicle crashes in sleep-deprived individuals," said Dr. Daniel J. Gottlieb, the lead author of the study and an associate physician in the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at BWH.

In the recent study, the researchers examined the connection between motor vehicle crashes and two common causes of sleep deprivation – insufficient sleep duration and obstructive sleep apnea. Insufficient sleep duration pertains to the inadequate amount of sleep that doesn't reach the ideal seven to nine hours per night. Obstructive sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder characterized by the repeated stopping and starting of breathing during sleep.

The research team analyzed the records of 1,745 men and 1,456 women, aged 40 to 89, who participated in the Sleep Heart Health Study. They found that sleeping for six hours a night can increase vehicular crash risk by 33 percent, compared to those who sleep for seven to eight hours a night. They also found that a severe case of obstructive sleep apnea can increase the risk by 123 percent, while a mild and moderate case of the disorder can increase the risk by 13 percent.

"To help reduce these crash risks we need to identify individuals with sleep apnea and ensure they are properly treated for their apnea. We also need to increase public awareness of the importance of a good night's sleep to reduce the percentage of the population with insufficient sleep duration," Dr. Gottlieb expressed.

Getting Enough Sleep

Because of the demands of the current generation, such as numerous daily tasks and busy schedules, people are having difficulty in getting adequate sleep every night. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, there are ways to help people get enough sleep or to be able to sleep quickly at night:

- People must allow themselves to get enough to sleep. This means that people should create a mindset that they need to sleep adequately each night.

- Set a bedtime and wake time every day, and follow it as strictly as you can. This allows the body to adjust and follow a new circadian rhythm.

- Avoid eating heavy or large meals and drinking alcohol before going to bed.

- Avoid drinking beverages that contain stimulating substances, such as coffee and tea. Also, avoid smoking because tobacco products contain nicotine, a stimulating substance as well.

- Take a bath, if possible, to relax the body before going to bed. Relaxation is very important to the body before resting.

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