Letter to the Editor

To the Editor: Thank you for Alex Hurst's February 27 column ("Don't think twice about hitting that snooze button," The Daily Pennsylvanian). Excessive daytime sleepiness is an often overlooked and nearly always underestimated problem, especially on college campuses. One concern not mentioned in the column is the impact of excessive sleepiness on driving. It is vital to recognize heavy lids and drowsiness as signals that sleep is needed and may be imminent, especially as we enter the spring season and more and more students are taking to the roads. Driving is a passive physical activity that may provide the first relaxation in days to students who have recently finished exams, papers and reviews. Any sign of drowsiness on the part of the driver is reason to change drivers or find a safe place for a nap. Short of these, conversation and caffeine can temporarily put off the drowsiness, although old stand-bys such as turning the radio louder or rolling down the window have been shown to do little to stave off sleep in replicated research. In addition, alcohol affects a sleepy person more quickly than a well-rested one. To quote William Dement, an author and one of the foremost authorities on sleep, "People can be just fine driving after a single drink one day (when they have little sleep debt) yet be a hazard to themselves and others if they have the same drink on a day in which they have a large sleep debt. A fact little known by the public at large is that in nearly every accident linked to alcohol consumption, sleep debt almost certainly plays a major role." As a psychology fellow at the University's Counseling and Psychological Services, one of my functions is consulting with students about sleep problems. In addition, the University community is rife with sleep experts and exciting research about sleep. I encourage students to be aware that their sleep is vital to their safety when they drive and especially when they drink and drive. Thanks again for the focus on such a deserving topic.

Brad Wolgast Counseling and Psychological Services

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