Getting eight hours of sleep is often recommended by medical professionals, even if many of us feel like it’s hard to consistently hit that magic number. Still, when talking about drowsy drivers and the risks they pose on the road, inadequate sleep is often blamed. While it plays a major role, it is not the only factor.
For instance, consider the way that the human body interacts with light. As people have evolved, light has become an inherent part of how they feel and the chemicals that their bodies create. These “chemical cues” can tell your body that it’s time to sleep, and your internal clock may go along with it, regardless of how much sleep you actually got.
This has become a big issue in places where they do not get much light for large parts of the year. Some areas have seen an exodus of young people and are struggling to remain intact, all because of their geographical position and what it means for hours of daylight throughout the year.
Florida isn’t one of these areas. However, time of day can play a big role in whether someone is feeling drowsy behind the wheel. Someone could sleep until noon and assume that it’s safe to drive late at night. If they’re just doing the math and considering the hours since they last slept, that seems to make sense. The reality, though, is that their unique biology may make them start feeling more tired as soon as the sun goes down.
There are a lot of factors that play into drowsy driving accidents. Just make sure you know your legal rights if you are injured in a crash by an at-fault driver.