The vibrations of the car are the culprit that makes sleeping drivers find studies

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MD July 9, 2018

Long drives and long drives can make a person sleepy. While driving, it is one of the most common causes of accidents, with one in five accidents due to fatigue or fatigue behind the wheels.

senior author, PhD researcher Neng Zhang, in the virtual simulator.

A team of researchers found that the vibrations emitted by the car as it runs can be the reason for drowsiness. about 15 minutes of these vibrations are enough to make a person sleep in a car.The study appeared in the latest issue of the journal Ergonomics .

RMIT University researchers in Australia have warned car drivers as well as road safety experts and automakers that it is an essential element to consider while making and driving cars . Stephen Robinson, one of the authors of the study, said that when a person is tired, it takes little to make them sleepy.

The study, he explained, revealed that car seats are capable of lulling the brains and bodies of these tired individuals and to make them sleepy. He said that these vibrations are "stable" and "low frequency" that are experienced while driving trucks and cars. He said that well-rested and healthy people can also feel gradually asleep when they are exposed to these vibrations

For this study, the team experimentally placed 15 volunteers on a virtual simulator capable of to vibrate at different frequencies. Then the participants were tested once without vibration, then again with low frequency vibrations 4-7 Hz. During one hour session, heart rate changes (HRV) participants were measured. These variations are indicators of drowsiness. As the brain gets tired, the heart rate tends to change.

The results revealed that participants experienced drowsiness in 15 minutes and that 30 minutes later, most participants began to experience significant sleepiness. Drowsiness progressed until the end of the trial

The team of researchers explained that the brain is usually synchronized with the vibrations and enters the early stages of sleep. This leads to drowsiness. They explain that this study should be conducted in a larger group of individuals to be meaningful and be applicable in daily scenarios. However, the results are still remarkable and should be considered for further exploration, they add.

The team says they plan to try different frequencies in larger groups of participants to see if their hypothesis is true. Robinsons says that some vibrations can keep people awake instead of falling asleep.