A Harvard study of nearly 5,000 police officers across the nation has determined that 40% tested positive for a sleep disorder that may be causing them to nod off behind the wheel!
The majority of those who were discovered to have a sleep disorder, like insomnia or sleep apnea, never received treatment. Even worse is that 46% admitted to falling asleep at the wheel at least once, while 26% said they do so at least once or twice a month!
We’re not exactly okay with that considering sleepy driving can be just as bad as drunk driving.
Charles A. Czeisler, a professor of sleep medicine at Harvard, lead the study and told sources:
“Four out of five of these individuals were undiagnosed and untreated. This is a very important clarion call to initiate these kinds of workplace screening programs, not just in police forces but in workplaces throughout the nation.”
So what is keeping the five-0 up?
Part of the problem could be unusually long and irregular shifts that can last up to 16 hours. Rotating day and night shifts can lead to a disorder diagnosed in 5% of the officers studied known as shift work disorder.
Poor health could also be to blame. One-third of the participating officers were obese and 79% were overweight, which contribute to obstructive sleep apnea — the most common sleep problem in the study.
Do U think this is a problem worth investigating?
[Image via WENN.]
