Don't doze, dude...

It's the start of the Labor Day weekend and many of us will take to the road as soon as we punch out after a long, hard week of work. Consider this before you pack up the car and slide behind the wheel for that trek Up North: Falling asleep at the wheel is second only to alcohol when it comes to driving fatalities.

Americans with undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are twice as likely to have a car crash, and three to five times more likely to have a serious crash involving personal injury, according to a 2007 study by the American Thoracic Society.

Drowsy driving is a huge problem, said Dr. Thomas Gravelyn of the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Sleep Disorder Center.

"There are a lot of factors at work here. There is a significant correlation between weight and sleep apnea. Right now, statistics show that four percent of adults have sleep apnea."

Adding to the problem is that we are working longer hours or often working more than one job.

"There are other factors to consider," Dr. Gravelyn said.

"First, the effects of alcohol are magnified by sleep deprivation. The same goes for many prescription drugs. Then you take to the road for a long trip and you are likely to doze off."

Warning signs of sleep deprivation include feeling the need to take daily naps and constantly falling asleep, Dr. Gravelyn said.

orginal article at: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...41/1016/METRO05