Why Are Road Accidents Linked To Snoring?

Of all the road accidents that take place, 16% of them are due to driver fatigue and drowsiness while driving. There is growing awareness about the hidden link of snoring and sleep deprivation that leads to daytime drowsiness leading to accidents and mishaps at work and at home.
British Medical Association's representative, Dr. Peter Holden says that there are many factors that contribute to a driver's inability to focus and concentrate on the road and constant drowsiness. He explained that the lulling sensation due to noise levels and constant movement enhances the drowsiness into sleep. Though the reasons of sleeping at the wheel differ, all of the accidents have been fatal or near fatal due to loss of control of the driver. It is imperative never to take sedatives, anti-motion sickness pills or specific flu medication as they have a certain level of relaxants and sleep medication.
People who snore are constantly drowsy due to frequent waking-ups all through the night and lower intake of oxygen as they never reach the deep sleep REM phase. The fatigue builds up over time and that leads to daytime drowsiness which is further enhanced by lulling action of the vehicle and the regular rhythm of the engine noise, leading to instances of sleep at the wheel.
Sleep laboratory's Director at Loughborough University, Dr. Jim Horne was of the view that young drivers have sleep-related accidents in the mornings while the older drivers tend to sleep at the wheel in the afternoon due to the biological clock. In addition he mentioned that the specific category of people more prone to falling sleep or having intense spells of drowsiness are those who suffer from sleep apnea. And this is more prevalent that it was ever thought before. More than 8% of the population in the world is affected by it and most of the people suffering with sleep apnea are in the age group of 25 to 40 years. It happens due to an obstruction in the respiratory track usually due the pharynx which is located at the back of the throat.
It falls in and blocks the throat which leads to abrupt closure of breathing and then flops open. This in turn leads to low levels of concentration in the blood and then suddenly the brain wakes you up to start breathing again. Usually sleep apnea starts with snoring on a regular basis, and when it goes unregulated or you just ignore it, it may develop into sleep apnea. Some of the symptoms of sleep apnea include waking up with a sore throat, restlessness, and headaches in the morning, insomnia, waking up out of breath, moodiness, irritability, fitful sleep and waking up often all through the night. The specific symptoms of sleep apnea include long pauses in breathing while snoring, chronic snoring that is loud, daytime drowsiness and gasping during the night while asleep.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is better to see a doctor or a sleep specialist to ensure that a proper anti-snoring remedy is found. Not just to avoid accidents, you need to find the best snoring remedy for better health.

Posted in: Sleep Snoring