An international team of scientists from Monash University in Australia and the University of Birmingham in England has found a biomarker in human blood that indicates acute sleep deficiency. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Science Advances (SciAdv).
The biomarker determined with 99.2% confidence whether people were awake for 24 hours. This level of sleep deprivation increases the risk of serious injury and even death.
Since approximately 20 percent of traffic accidents worldwide are caused by lack of sleep, researchers hope this discovery can guide future tests that can quickly and easily detect sleep-deprived drivers.
The biomarker could also be used in other situations where sleep deprivation could have disastrous results, such as workplaces with critical safety hazards.
“There is strong evidence that less than five hours of sleep a night is associated with unsafe driving. But driving after being awake for 24 hours is the equivalent of driving while drunk,” said study leader Professor Claire Anderson.
Experts stated that the new test can be used for medical examinations and forensic medical examinations, but the technique needs to be improved.
Previous scientists I learnedIt is stated that chronic lack of sleep increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.