People with Apnea More Vulnerable to Effects of Alcohol

Drinking and driving is always dangerous. Add a life-threatening sleep disorder and you have a recipe for disaster. According to a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, patients with obstructive sleep apnea are more vulnerable than healthy people to the effects of alcohol while driving. The study, conducted by researchers at the Adelaide Institute [...]

Today Show Looks at Drowsy Teen Drivers

The Today Show recently featured a segment on drowsy driving among teenagers. According to the National Sleep Foundation’s 2006 Sleep in America poll, 51 percent of all adolescents who drive reported that they had driven drowsy at least once in the past year. Among those adolescents, 5 percent had nodded off or fallen asleep while [...]

Former Foundation Secretary Appointed to NTSB

The president has designated former National Sleep Foundation Secretary Christopher A. Hart as the National Transportation Safety Board’s new vice chairman, according to a press release by the agency.

NTSB Makes Recommendations on Sleep Apnea

The National Transportation Safety Board has issued six recommendations to the Federal Aviation Agency regarding pilot fatigue and obstructive sleep apnea.

Post Article Examines ‘Crash Pads’

A recent article in the Washington Post looked at crash pads, makeshift homes used as an inexpensive housing option for regional airline flight crews struggling to pay rent away from home.

Countermeasures: Stop for the Night

Find a safe place to stop for a break or for the night. If you plan on napping longer than 30 minutes, your best option is to choose a safe rest stop or motel, allowing you to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep.

Countermeasures: Rumble Strips

If you hit a shoulder rumble strip, pull off the road as soon as possible.

Countermeasures: Taking a Nap

Pull off into a safe, well-lit area away from traffic and take a brief nap: 15-20 minutes is best. Short naps can help improve mood, performance and short-term alertness.

Countermeasures: Caffeine

Coffee or another type of caffeine drink can promote short-term alertness, if needed.

Jane Callaghy

August 12, 1946 – April 1, 2001
On April 1, 2001, the day of the switch to daylight savings time, my wife and I were in an automobile crash that I caused by falling asleep at the wheel. Janie died instantly. Our daughter had said goodbye to us as we went off that weekend [...]

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