Sleep Deprivation: Effects on Safety, Health and the Quality of Life
Written by Farrah Hassen. I. Introduction A 2001 poll taken by the Washington D.C. National Sleep Foundation (NSF) reports that 63 percent of American adults don’t receive the recommended 8 hours of sleep necessary for good health, safety and optimum performance.[1] Fatigue’s consequences include higher instances of motor vehicle accidents, work-related accidents, decreased productivity and adverse health effects. Daniel O’Hearn, a Johns Hopkins University sleep disorders specialist observed, “People don’t respect sleep enough. They feel they can do more –…