The impacts of sleep deprivation
05-12-2011
A recent study done by the UCLA found that doctors who work shorter shifts are far less likely to make mistakes during their work than those who work longer shifts. These findings might sound fairly obvious to you and me but it has taken researchers a long time to actually pinpoints the effects of sleep deprivation in comprehensive studies.
The team who conducted the research looked at around 2500 operations, half of which had been performed before rules regarding length of shift had been put in place and half which had been performed after these new rules had been put in place.
They found that there were far more complications and problems with the operations done by doctors who had been working before the new rules were put in place. The findings were quite dramatic, with significant differences found across a number of different metrics.
Sleep deprivation can be incredibly debilitating, it effects us both physically and mentally, impacting us in ways that we may not even be aware of. That is why there is increasing regulation surrounding the number of consecutive hours that people can work, as it is a significant health and safety issue.
If you are worried about sleep deprivation, then talk to your employer.
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