There are plenty of research studies that stipulate just how dangerous it can be to be tired behind the wheel but one connection that hasn’t been fully explored just yet is how using your cellphones and the light that emanates from your devices at night can make your sleep less solid and fewer in terms of hours overall. Sadly, drowsy driving may be to blame for some of the most catastrophic car accidents in NJ.
Anyone who has ever been in the car while tired can testify to how the road can lull you into near-sleep or a trance-like state. When you have been on the road for some time or when you’ve been without sufficient sleep, it feels nearly impossible to keep your eyes open.
Has someone else fallen asleep at the wheel and caused an accident where you sustained injuries? You may be entitled to recover injuries from a personal injury claim after speaking with a New Jersey car accident attorney.
Lack of Sleep Leads to Problems
The Centers for Disease Control explains that lack of sleep is a critical public health concern because it has been linked to increased numbers of car crashes as well as more long term medical issues like diabetes.
For the most part, sleep deprivation in the U.S. today has been blamed on the 24/7 fast-pace lifestyle and connected to the electric lighting that keeps individuals up all day and all night.
A new research study from UCLA challenges this theory, however, by looking at the sleep habits in the United States and comparing them with societies elsewhere who manage to survive without electricity entirely.
The research study identified that the typical amount of time most people spent attempting to sleep, most people were only asleep during 5.5 to 7 of those hours.
Getting plenty of sleep leads to the best possible health outcomes. One of the most interesting aspects of this study was looking at preindustrial societies and the amount of time they spend in darkness when compared with individuals in the industrialized world.
For those living in the electrified world, sleep for humans did not begin until several hours after sunset had concluded. The major difference between sleep and the pre-industrial and the industrial lights can shut down and delay night time physiology, whereas lights from other sources like a phone can keep you awake for weeks.
The individuals in the pre-industrial societies included in this research had similar general sleeping habits, however, in the industrialized world individuals are only exposed to darkness for the length of several hours each night.
The quality and type of light that is used every single night has an impact on sleeping ability and quality, bright more effective than a longer wavelength light in red and yellow can also lead individuals to prematurely transition to daytime physiology.
Blue light in the evening will decrease the quality of sleep and individuals who use their cellphone around the clock may find that this is one reason that they struggle to stay asleep at night as well as to fall asleep more quickly.
Being tired has many different negative repercussions for an individual’s health but it can also put that person at greater risk for being involved in a series car accident. Drowsy driving, according to some studies, can be just as devastating and dangerous as drunk driving.
Also Read: Sleep Deprived Teenagers May Be at Higher Risk of an Accident
Contact An Expert New Jersey Car Accident Attorney Today
If you have recently been injured by someone who fell asleep at the wheel or was drowsy behind the wheel of a car in New Jersey, you need to consult with an experienced car accident attorney as soon as possible.
You may be able to recover compensation after a car accident if someone else’s negligence caused the accident to begin with. Your lawyer can help investigate the scene of the wreck and put together evidence to support your claim.
Your claim may even be settled outside of court in negotiations, but you should also hire a New Jersey car accident lawyer who is willing to represent you in a trial.
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