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Quantifying the impairment associated with sleep loss

Laboratory and field studies have consistantly shown that sleep loss negatively impacts on neurobehavioural performance and alertness. Moreover, recent research suggests that the detrimental effects of sleep loss are qualitatively and quantitatively similar to the effects of alcohol intoxication. Despite this, sleepiness-related performance impairment has not been subject to the strict levels of regulatory intervention that govern alcohol consumption when driving and/or at work. It has been proposed that this failure to address the occupational, health and safety impact of sleep loss, and the subsequent lack of legislation to manage and control sleepiness in a manner commensurate with the associated statistical risks, may in part, reflect a failure to provide policy makers with a readily understood index of the relative risk associated with sleep loss. Therefore the aim of the studies in this thesis was to assess and quantify the effects of sleep loss on a range of measures, including neurobehavioural performance, sleepiness, and daytime sleep quality and quantity.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/284056
Date January 2001
CreatorsLamond, Nicole
Source SetsAustraliasian Digital Theses Program
LanguageEN-AUS
Detected LanguageEnglish
RightsCopyright Nicole Lamond 2001

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