One of the trucking industry’s strategies for trying to make sure long-distance truck drivers get sufficient sleep may be enhanced by new research on sleeping arrangements in truck cabs. Companies often assign drivers in pairs, so that one can sleep while the other drives. However, sleeping in a noisy, moving vehicle, does not provide the same restful sleep as a stationary bed in a quiet room.
On March 20-23, 2017, thirteen participants from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) attended the 10th International Conference on Managing Fatigue, in San Diego, California. This year’s conference was the first held in the U.S. since 2009, and was attended by over 260 scientists and industry experts from around the world.
March is Sleep Awareness Month. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society determined that adults require at least 7 hours of sleep per day to promote optimal health. Short sleep duration (< 7 hours per day) has been linked to various negative health outcomes including cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression, as well as safety issues related to drowsy driving and injuries.
Lack of sleep has serious consequences at home, in the workplace, at school, and on roadways, according to the company CJ Pony Parts, which sells sports car auto parts and operates car shows.
Driving when tired is the equivalent to drunk driving according to several studies, but now a new smartphone app aims to alert drivers when they start counting sheep.
