Microsleep
Microsleep is the term used for fatigue attacks. This is an unintentional falling asleep for several seconds. The focus is on the long-known problem related to road safety and accidents at work . According to the German Road Safety Council , "every fourth fatal accident on motorways (...) is caused by a brief nod".
Causes and Signs
Causes are too little sleep or a sleep deficit for days or weeks, driving or working during times when one normally sleeps, long waking hours, long journeys without rest breaks, alcohol and heavy food, changing sleep patterns for shift workers and illnesses that impair sleep ( Sleep disorders ) and daytime sleepiness . Sleep apnea syndrome is one of the best-known . Carrying out monotonous activities has an intensifying effect on tiredness .
Contrary to popular belief, microsleep can also occur with your eyes open and in a physically rested state. The cause is z. B. can be seen in a comfortable sitting posture, in which the baroreceptors along the spine signal a state of rest and thereby the waking center is switched off in the brain . If the sensory perception of the eyes is also insufficiently demanding due to monotonous image impressions, the brain activity is reduced to such an extent that reaction times of several seconds are the result.
Signs of imminent microsleep can include:
- heavy eyelids ,
- burning or sore eyes ,
- dry oral mucosa ,
- Yawning that can hardly be suppressed
- the need to massage the bridge of the nose ,
- slight shivering,
- repeated startles from inattention.
- Relaxation of the ciliary muscle (view into the 'infinity' due to loss of attention)
remedy
The only effective remedy for fatigue is getting enough restful sleep. If the first signs of an impending microsleep occur while driving a vehicle or operating machines, it may be seconds later.
- Possibly the most effective form of preventing dangerous microsleep is to sleep for 10 to 20 minutes immediately after the symptoms of fatigue appear.
- Under no circumstances should you keep yourself awake while driving by increasing the volume of the radio, opening the side window or talking to the passenger. Spontaneous tiredness can only be counteracted by taking an adequate sleep break.
- A remedy for less restful sleep is often provided by paying more attention to sleep hygiene and observing one's own behavior.
- Medical examination in a sleep laboratory .
Warning systems
Since 2009, various vehicle manufacturers have been offering warning systems against microsleep as part of their driver assistance systems . The fatigue detection tries to do this by evaluating various parameters, such as B. keeping to the lane or steering movements , to draw conclusions about the drowsiness of the driver and to trigger various warning measures if necessary. Like all support systems, they are no substitute for responsible behavior. They can only draw the driver's attention to any necessary breaks in the journey, but cannot reliably prevent sleep.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Seconds that make the difference between life and death , German Road Safety Council, press release, February 4, 2010.
- ↑ bfu - Advice Center for Accident Prevention, Bern - Fatigue at the wheel , (PDF, 1.6 MB), accessed December 28, 2012
- ↑ ADAC: Flyer Fatigue in Road Traffic ( Memento of the original from November 19, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , (PDF, 508 kB), accessed December 28, 2012
