Risks from Not Getting Enough Sleep: Misconceptions
Misconceptions
- You may mistakenly think the effects of sleep deprivation can be overcome by motivation, professionalism, training, and experience.
- Research shows that sleep-deprived persons do not always recognize a decline in their performance. This can lead to dangerous situations if they perform tasks such as driving.
Long Work Hours and Impaired Performance
As compared with 8-hour shifts, risks for accidents and errors increase the longer your shift lasts. For example,
- Working 10-hour shifts increases the risk for accidents and errors by 13%
- Working 12-hour shifts increases the risk for accidents and errors by 28%