The effects of sleep debt on vigilance in young drivers: an education/research project in high schools

The vigilance levels of a group of 59 students were assessed in the daytime (9:00-11:00 a.m.) and again early Sunday morning (2:30-5:00 a.m.), and were then compared. Data were collected at the students' schools. The differences in performance impairment associated with different Saturday night social activities and the effect of alcohol consumption were evaluated. Results indicate a vigilance decrease during the night, and this is greater in subjects who consumed more alcohol. Students who spent their Saturday night in a discotheque showed the most prominent nocturnal vigilance decrease, even when the effect of alcohol consumption is covaried. The effect of social activities on vigilance levels was also associated with different lengths of time spent awake and the different time in which subjects performed the vigilance task. (C) 2002 The Association for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.