Podcast # 328: Sleep Deprivation

Emergency Medical Minute

Author: Sam Killian, MD

Educational Pearls:

• Insufficient sleep and disrupted circadian rhythms are a major health problem today

• Millions of dollars, thousands of deaths, and millions of injuries are related to sleep deprivation every year
• 56 billion dollars - 24,000 deaths - 2.5 million disabiling injuries related to a sleep-type deprivation
• Exxon valdez, challanger, chyrnobel linked to sleep deprivation- at least partially
• Data has shown that in the Spring (when people lose an hour of sleep) there were 8% more traffic accidents on the Monday immediately after daylight savings. Conversely, in the Fall (when people gain an hour of sleep), there were 8% fewer traffic accidents on the Monday immediately after daylight savings.
• Studies have also shown an increased risk of myocardial infarction in Spring immediately after daylight savings, and a decreased risk of myocardial infarction in the Fall immediately after daylight savings.

References:

Corren S. Traffic Accidents and Daylight Saving Time. New England Journal of Medicine. 1996;335(5):355-357. doi:10.1056/nejm199608013350517

Janszky I, Ljung R. Shifts to and from Daylight Saving Time and Incidence of Myocardial Infarction. New England Journal of Medicine. 2008;359(18):1966-1968. doi:10.1056/nejmc0807104.