How Does Drowsiness Affect My Driving Performance?

83% of adults say they frequently drive a vehicle, with more than 60% driving every day. And with nearly 300 million cars on US roads, driving is more of a necessity than ever.

Driving is the most popular form of American transportation. It can also be hazardous — particularly if drivers are distracted. Drivers today grow dangerously comfortable with texting, eating, even applying makeup while driving a motor vehicle. And the estimated 33% of people who don’t get enough sleep each night face an additional distraction that can hinder safe driving: sleep deprivation and the drowsiness it can cause.

The Dangers of Drowsy Driving

Sleepiness is one of several dangerous forms of impairment. It can cause you to make rash driving decisions, overcorrect your driving trajectory, and pose a serious hazard to both yourself and other drivers on the road.

Let’s explore some of the main dangers that drowsy driving can cause.

Impaired Reaction Times

Driving requires quick decision-making. Whether you’re speeding up, slowing down, changing lanes, or accommodating other drivers’ movements, you need to make fast, accurate movements to keep yourself and others safe. Particularly at high speeds or in hazardous weather conditions, fast reactions are a must-have ingredient for safe driving.

One of the most significant issues drowsiness can cause while driving is an impaired reaction time. Your movements get slower as you grow tired, until you can’t react to input at the same speeds. This makes it harder, or even impossible, to react at speeds that would be considered safer on the road. Drowsy driving can reduce your ability to respond promptly, increasing your risk of experiencing or causing an accident.

Decreased Attention to Detail

Drowsiness can also cause problems when it comes to your attention span. Without enough rest, your attention to detail suffers. This means it can be harder to read signs, adjust your speed, and navigate your vehicle in line with others. You might also find it challenging to respond appropriately to stoplights, or you might misjudge the distance between your car and your next stop.

Any time you miss critical information on the road, you leave yourself vulnerable to accident or injury. When your decreased attention is the result of drowsiness, it probably also means that your lapse in concentration isn’t a one-time issue. As your drowsiness worsens, you’ll fail to notice other hazards until one of them affects your driving. This lack of attentiveness can have severe consequences for yourself, your passengers, and your fellow drivers.

Microsleep Episodes

Microsleep is a brief sleep period, which can last anywhere from a fraction of a second to full seconds. While it isn’t a period of longer or fulfilling sleep, it can still place your body in a brief period of rest. When this happens at home, perhaps while watching a movie or reading a book, you might doze off for a few moments before regaining consciousness. However, it can be entirely more dangerous when you’re behind the wheel of a car.

Drowsy drivers can experience an episode of microsleep without even realizing it. Even if it’s just for a few seconds, dozing off and closing your eyes can have powerful consequences while on the road. You might drift off the road, change speeds, or endanger a fellow driver before waking up. This places everyone around you on the road at immediate risk for an accident.

Increased Risk of Accidents

There is a direct correlation between drowsiness and traffic accidents. All of the above factors — decreased attention to detail, impaired reaction times, and microsleep — impair your overall coordination and make you more susceptible to an accident.

According to the CDC, one in 25 drivers has fallen asleep at the wheel in the last 30 days. That creates an estimated 91,000 crashes, 51,000 injuries, and 800 deaths within a single year.

How Can We Prevent Drowsy Driving?

The best way to prevent drowsy driving is simple: don’t get behind the wheel of a car when you’re feeling sleepy. Call an Uber, ride with a friend, or postpone your drive until you’ve had enough time to rest and recover.

Here are some specific strategies you can use to prevent feelings of drowsiness while driving:

• Avoid driving during evening hours: Try to avoid driving, particularly long driving, during late night or early morning hours when you’re more susceptible to drowsiness.
• Take breaks while driving: Plan regular stops during a drive. Park in a safe location, stretch your legs, use the restroom, and breathe fresh air. These steps can help your body reset and stave off drowsiness that can occur after sitting in one location for a long time.
• Share driving responsibilities: If possible, drive with a friend, family member, or someone you trust. This segments your driving hours and provides energy through conversation while driving.
• Recognize signs of drowsiness: Remain alert for the first signs of drowsiness. If you notice a lapse in concentration, impaired reaction times, even occasional yawns that grow more frequent, it might be time to stop driving for the day.

Here’s an important note: avoiding drowsiness is different from avoiding sleep deficiency. The best way to address sleep deficiency is through sleep. However, people who are students, new parents, or overnight workers will often experience some form of sleep deficiency that’s unavoidable.

It’s also important to avoid certain substances before driving. While medication can be helpful for sleep disorders, they can also cause drowsiness. Alcohol can have a similar effect. Make sure your body is free from any substances that can induce sleepiness before you start a drive.

One of the best ways to prevent drowsiness is simply by getting enough sleep each night. Most people need at least seven full hours of sleep each night to function correctly. The right amount of sleep will help improve your physical health, digestive health, and heart health. Just as easily, poor sleep health can leave you feeling tired, cranky, and drowsy.

Getting enough sleep isn’t always easy — but it’s easier when you have a mattress that’s a strong advocate for your sleep health. Make sure your mattress appropriately supports your head, neck, shoulders, and limbs, limiting movements when you sleep.

At Mattress Warehouse, we know a thing or two about improving sleep. That’s why we created our patented sleep diagnostic program bedMATCH, which analyzes your sleep metrics and recommends mattress options for people like you. In five minutes, the bedMATCH system audits your height, weight, and other dimensions before identifying mattress options at every price point that can help deliver the sleep you deserve.

Can’t make it to a local Mattress Warehouse to try bedMATCH for yourself? No problem. Take the online bedMATCH quiz to browse mattress options that can help you avoid drowsiness and the driving risks that come with it.