Tom Britt has more. Bill Wohlgemuth of Duke University Medical Center's sleep disorders clinic specializes not only in the causes of sleep deprivation, but also the effects. He says most of us don't consciously consider that when we drive, we are behind the wheel of a complex machine, and are constantly making decisions and maneuvers as conditions change in our path. You need to have your wits about you and be quick-thinking, and that is dulled when you're not sleeping.
Reaction time is slowed.
Vigilance, or being able to pay attention for long periods of time, is impaired. Wohlgemuth says the only cure for a lack of sleep is to sleep. He says a blast of cold air through an open car window has not been shown to help. About the only thing that has proven successful is caffeine, and then only for about an hour. After that, he says, you need another cup of coffee, or you could stop and take a nap.