Effects of actigraphically acquired sleep quality on driving outcomes in obstructive sleep apnea patients and control drivers: A naturalistic study

Abstract

We examined the effects of sleep quality on next day driving outcomes in a 3.5-month naturalistic driving study of 67 OSA and 47 matched control drivers. Sleep quality measures included total sleep time and sleep fragmentation from actigraphy. The driving outcomes included average speed, lateral control, longitudinal control, distraction, attention to driving- and non-driving related tasks. Sleep quality affected next day’s driving performance differently for OSA and control drivers. Better sleep quality was associated with better lateral and longitudinal control during highway driving for control drivers. The reverse was true for OSA drivers. Similar effects were also seen in terms of distractions and attention to the driving task. These effects suggest improved sleep leads to greater risky driving and ‘activation’ among OSA drivers. Collectively, the findings suggest investment in long-term monitoring of sleep quality in commercial vehicle drivers both with and without sleep disorders may help manage safety risks.