Sleep & Driving
What are 3 things you should do if you are drowsy and about to drive?
- Find an alternative to getting there
- Call a friend/family member
- Take a nap
Sleeping 7 hours or less a night can make you ___% more likely to get sick from a cold virus?
A) 100%
B) 300%
C) 500%
300% (this means you are 3x more likely to get sick)
True or False: Getting less than the recommended amount of sleep can impact our ability to concentrate and remember things?
True! Sleep has been shown to help us consolidate our memories as well as our concentration
True or False: You should lie in bed even if you are NOT sleepy?
False: You should get up and do a relaxing activity until you are tired
One sleepless night is equivalent to driving with what blood alcohol level (%)? Range 0.01-5%
0.1% and yes, 0.08% is the legal blood alcohol limit
True or False: The body's internal clock is re-set later in our teen years?
True (by about two hours later than adults and children)
True or False: Drinking soda and eating just before bed will NOT affect our sleep?
False: Drinking (especially caffeine) and eating can mess with our internal clocks that signal to our body that it's time for sleep
What are at least 3 relaxing activities before bed that you can do?
- reading, listening to music
- anything not involving your phone!
What percentage of car crashes involving drowsy drivers are young adult drivers(<25 years old)?
50% (half)
What do drinks like coffee, tea, soda, and energy drinks have in them that gives us an energy boost?
Caffeine (this is a chemical that activates our central nervous system - fight, flight, and freeze system)
True or False: Sleeping 5 hours or less a night can increase our risk for developing depression and anxiety?
True! Sleep has been shown to impact our ability to problem solve difficult situations and to impact our moods
How many hours before bed should you stop using your phone to promote sleep?
About two hours before bed
What percentage of young adults (<25 years old) report driving while drowsy?
2/3 (~66%)
Melatonin is released __ hours later in teens to adults and children?
~2hrs (teens Melatonin release peaks between 10p-12a)
How many hours a night are recommended for ages 13-18 years old?
8-10 hours
True or False: It's best to sleep in a warm brightly lit room?
False: sleeping in a cool dark room helps trigger our bodies for sleep
A drowsy driver crash happens once every __ minutes in the US?
Every 2 minutes!
What natural chemical in the body triggered by darkness lets our brains know it's time for sleep?
Melatonin!
Our internal clock that regulates sleep resets every ___ hours?
~24 hrs (it is regulated by light and is the reason that we are "wired" to sleep at night and be awake during the day
What's the most important thing you can do to improve your sleep?
Have a consistent bed and wake time (ie wake up and go to sleep around the same time every night)