Jobs in Transportation Improve When Drivers Get Sound Sleep

Adequate rest is a constant issue in the trucking industry where health and safety of the driver and other motorists is always at the forefront of everyone’s priorities. Recent research shows that truckers seeking jobs in transportation were able to operate safely while splitting their sleep schedule into two sleep sessions.

The study was carried out at the Sleep and Performance Research Center at Washington State University in Spokane and featured in The Trucker. The research facility is a 10,000 square foot structure that uses state of the art research laboratories to study the effect of sleep and sleep loss on human cognitive functioning.

A leader in the field, Dr. Greg Belenky, took the lead on the research. His work is unique in that he studies sleep issues among “normal” people in society, those without narcolepsy or any other type of condition that involves a problem related to sleeping.

According to Dr. Belenky’s research, split sleep is actually preferred over daytime consolidated sleep. This research is of great interest to truckers because since 2005, the FMCSA has required drivers to have eight-hour blocks of rest. Studies at that time showed that they were safer on the roadways after the extended period of rest.

The FMCSA is scheduled to review its rule again soon, but how much impact the latest research presented by Dr. Belenky will have on any ruling by the FMCSA and jobs in transportation is unknown. Many drivers seeking jobs in transportation are hopeful that the research will open the door for a new ruling that will allow them to split their sleep schedules into sessions of not less than two hours per session.

Dr. Belenky’s study showed that test subjects who received eight hours of nighttime sleep and subjects who got at least seven hours of split sleep showed no difference in their ability to perform throughout the workweek. Their blood chemistry also showed no difference. However, subjects who got at least six hours of daytime sleep showed higher levels of glucose and testosterone in their blood, and they also rated their sleepiness levels higher than the other subjects.

Drivers seeking jobs in transportation who try to get their sleep during the daytime will likely get lest actual sleep, have increased sleepiness, but their base performance levels aren’t much different than others who split their sleep schedules or those who get a solid block of sleep at night. The overall recommendation from Dr. Belenky is that if a solid block of night sleep is not possible, a split sleep session is the next best choice, rather than a prolonged daytime sleep session.