Sleep-related risks in young adults are more complex than previously thought, with overlapping sleep problems potentially increasing the chances of accidents on the road and at work, according to a new study from Murdoch University.

Previous research has primarily focused on insufficient sleep as the leading cause of road and workplace accidents in young drivers; however, newly released results, as part of the Raine Study, have found sleep disorders and shift work to also be strong influencers in young adults.

Dr Kelly Sansom, Associate Researcher from Murdoch University’s Centre for Healthy Ageing, who was lead author of the paper, said that these factors are common in young adults, but few studies have examined them as primary factors.

“Together, motor vehicle accidents and unintentional injuries are a leading cause of death and disability in adolescents and young adults,” Dr Sansom said.

“Our study investigated the impact of having, not just one, but multiple sleep related risk factors.

“The results showed that the combined burden of multiple sleep-disrupting factors including sleep disorders, insufficient sleep and shift work is associated with an increased risk of near-miss road incidents and falling asleep at work.”

The study assessed 439 young Australian adults aged 22, for common sleep disorders such as insomnia, obstructive sleep apnoea and restless legs syndrome.

Information on shift work, sleep habits, and road and workplace incidents was also collected.

“These factors have been largely overlooked in road safety studies of young adults,” Dr Sansom said.

“Within our study cohort, 16% reported falling asleep behind the wheel, 23% had at least one near-miss road accident due to sleepiness, and insufficient sleep was linked to more than double the odds of falling asleep while driving.

“We also found that the presence of all three sleep disrupting factors, including sleep disorders, insufficient sleep and shift work, had a greater effect on sleepiness-related near miss road incidents than any of the individual sleep disrupting factors alone.

“Our findings suggest that all three sleep-related factors and their interactions should be considered in future planning for road and workplace safety interventions in young adults.”

Murdoch University Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research and Innovation Professor Peter Eastwood, who was also an author of the study, said that education on identifying and managing sleep disorders, alongside promotion of healthy sleeping habits, is crucial to mitigate unsafe driving and work.

“This is particularly important given the over-representation of young adults in road and workplace incidents, and the known contribution of sleepiness to such incidents in this demographic,” Professor Eastwood said.

Associate Professor Amy Reynolds, clinical epidemiologist and intern psychologist at Flinders University worked closely with Dr Sansom and Professor Eastwood on the study and said that sleep disorders often get missed in young shift workers who also have increased risk for insufficient sleep.

“Raising awareness and facilitating support to access sleep services is critical for managing the psychosocial safety of our workforce and should be a priority for organisations where these risk factors are present to improve safety,” Dr Reynolds said.

The study was conducted in collaboration with researchers from Flinders University and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, using previously collected sleep health data from the Raine Study. Sleep health data collected during the 22-year follow-up was supported by funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Established in 1989, the Western Australia based Raine Study is one of the world’s oldest and longest-running pre-birth longitudinal cohort health studies.

“We’re very thankful to the study’s participants, their ongoing commitment makes important research like this possible,” Dr Sansom said.

The full published researchAdditive interactions of sleep disorders, insufficient sleep, and shift work on road and workplace safety incidents: A sufficient cause approach with overlap weightsis available in Sleep Medicine Journal.