People with sleep disorders wake up tired in the morning, no matter how much sleep they get. The condition causes them to briefly stop and restart breathing hundreds of times a night. Breathing interruptions prevent those with apnea from falling into deep, refreshing sleep.
A new study puts a number on how dangerous chronic fatigue can be. According to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the odds of making a dangerous driving move such as speeding, braking hard or suddenly increasing suddenly increase by 27% when there are eight additional breathing interruptions per hour.
Older adults are more likely to snore. They are more likely to die in a car accident. Screening older adults for sleep apnea and for treatment, if needed, may help older people continue driving safely for longer, according to findings in the journal Sleep.
Older adults with mild sleep apnea may not come to medical attention if they don't have daytime sleepiness or other evidence of impairment. If their conditions get worse by just eight interruptions an hour, that could have significant adverse effects on their driving and their risk of suffering serious injury.
People over the age of 65 are the most responsible drivers. They obey the speed limits. They drive defensively. They don't drive at night in bad weather. Even the safest habits can be undermined by the changes that come with old age.
The researchers collaborated to investigate the relationship between sleep apnea and risky driving behaviors. The participants were recruited from the ongoing studies at the Knight ADRC.
The driving and sleep habits of 96 older adults were monitored. They used a commercially available take- home test to identify people with sleep apnea. Less than five breathing interruptions per hour is normal, five to 15 is mild sleep apnea, 15 to 30 is moderate, and greater than 30 is severe.
To assess driving habits, the researchers installed a chip into participants personal vehicles and monitored their driving for a year, focusing on episodes of hard braking, sudden acceleration and speeding. They collected data on more than 100,000 trips. Researchers at the Knight ADRC evaluated participants for cognitive impairments and signs of early Alzheimer's disease.
A third of the participants had brain changes that were indicative of early Alzheimer's disease. The researchers found that the frequencies with which drivers made dangerous moves behind the wheel rose in parallel with the frequencies with which their sleep was interrupted at night.
We don't have cameras in the vehicles, so we don't know what caused someone to brake suddenly. The more tired you are, the less time you have to devote to the task at hand.
The study helps untangle the ways aging-associated risk factors such as poor sleep and Alzheimer's disease put older adults in danger while driving, and could aid efforts to find ways to maximize years of safe driving, the researchers said.
Older adults are more likely to be injured in a crash than younger adults. Older people lose a lot of their independence and mobility when they stop driving. We want to understand what puts them at a higher risk so we can intervene and help them stay behind the wheel for as long as possible.
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