Definitions of drowsy driving generally involve varying uses and definitions of fatigue, sleepiness, and exhaustion. For the purpose of the discussion at hand, drowsy driving is simply driving in a physical state in which the driver’s alertness is appreciably lower than it would be if the driver were “well rested” and “fully awake.”

Warning signs of drowsy driving is:

- The inability to recall the last few miles traveled,

- Having disconnected or wandering thoughts,

- Having difficulty focusing or keeping your eyes open,

- Feeling as though your head is very heavy,

- Drifting out of your driving lane, perhaps driving on the rumble strips,

- Yawning repeatedly,

- Accidentally tailgating other vehicles,

- Missing traffic signs.

Here are a few tips that can help you avoid falling asleep at the wheel:

- Get adequate and quality sleep before a trip;

- Avoid alcoholic beverages and heavy foods;

- Beware of medications that can impair your driving ability;

- Limit long distance driving — stop at least every two hours — and rest;

- Stop at a safe place and take a nap. Wait at least 10 minutes after waking up to see how alert you are. If you don’t feel any more alert, don’t drive. Find a place to sleep for an hour or for the night;

- If possible, drive with a companion and switch driving when necessary. Talk with passengers but not to the point of distraction;

- Keep the temperature cool in your vehicle. Keep your eyes moving and check your mirrors often.

- Avoid caffeine-type drinks like coffee or cola. They provide a short-term boost, however, if you are seriously sleep deprived, no amount of caffeine will help. It’s best to stay off the road.

- If possible, avoid driving during the peak drowsy times — from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., and from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Read The Full Story…

The widely used club drug ecstasy appears to increase the risk of sleep apnea, say U.S. researchers.

“People who use ecstasy need to know that this drug damages the brain and can cause immediate and dangerous problems such as sleep apnea,” study author Dr. Una McCann, of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, said in a news release.

McCann and colleagues conducted sleep tests on 71 people who’d used ecstasy (MDMA) and 62 people who’d never used the illegal drug. Ecstasy users had a more than eight-fold increased risk of sleep apnea compared to non-users. Mild sleep apnea rates were similar in both groups (21% of ecstasy users and 27% of non-users), but only ecstasy users had moderate (13%) or severe (1%) sleep apnea.

The longer a person used ecstasy, the more sleep apnea episodes they experienced, said the researchers. They also found that ecstasy use was a greater risk factor for sleep apnea than obesity.

The study is published in the Dec. 2 online issue of the journal Neurology.

Source: http://www.medicinenet.com

Over the years of putting our own children to sleep and keeping them asleep, and counseling thousands of other moms and dads on various styles of nighttime parenting, here are some time-tested, proven attitudes and techniques. Most of these are applicable to infants and toddlers of all ages.

Here are a few simple tips you may want to try to get a bit more uninterrupted sleep:

1. Keep to a routine. If your baby wakes up late in the morning to help make up for some of his late nights, begin waking him at an earlier time each day to help encourage him to get the sleep he needs at night — when the rest of the household sleeps.
2. Put baby in bed while awake. Yes, they can go to sleep by them selves if not hungry! This you should do both at night and every time your baby takes a nap at day time. During his first weeks your baby will probably fall asleep at your breast every time he nurses (or with the bottle). Don’t worry about it.
3. Increase daytime feeds. Feeding your baby more often during the day will allow him to meet his nutritional needs at a time more convenient to you.
4. Sleepy Sounds. The calming, repetitive sounds of traditional lullabies recall the ‘womb music’ your baby heard before birth (your heartbeat, and fluids whooshing through the placenta). Baby music that incorporates elements such as the rhythm of the maternal heartbeat or ‘white noise’ has remarkable soothing effects, especially if played continuously through the night.
5. A light cotton cloth over the eyes. I know many babies that fall asleep almost instantly if their face is cover by a very thin cotton cloth. I suppose it helps them shutting out distracting visual impressions.
6. Choose a well-lit area for your baby’s naps. This will help encourage shorter naps, which in turn may help your little one sleep better at night.
7. Stuffed animal or blanket that smells MOM. Mom and milk is usually what babies want when the most waking up. With a stuffed animal with your smell on it, he might not feel as lonely when waking up in the middle of the night. Put the animal close to your body for a few day and nights and then give it to your baby every time he goes to sleep.
8. A Magic Touch. Silent nights could be at your fingertips: Research from Miami University showed that infants and toddlers who were massaged daily for one month, for 15 minutes prior to bedtime, fell asleep more easily by the end of the study.
9. Avoid using Aids to Help your Baby Sleep. Many exhausted parents resort to external aids to get their babies sleeping (for example, constantly using a pacifier, driving your baby around, and rocking or nursing your baby to sleep). Though your baby might initially fall asleep sleep quicker with these external aids, you are ultimately making your job much more difficult. The problem is that it helps you avoid teaching your baby how to fall asleep alone. Instead, take the time to get your baby falling asleep without any help, and he will fall asleep faster and sleep

10. Waking up Throughout the Night. Most, if not all, babies wake up several times throughout the night. Even a baby who is already sleeping through the night wakes up numerous times during the night. The key is that if your baby knows know how to fall back to sleep on his own, he won’t need you to put him back to sleep. So, don’t rush in as soon as your baby wakes up in the middle of the night. Instead, give it some time and you might be pleasantly surprised to find that your baby falls back to sleep on his own.