Safe Bus Operators Benefit from a Good Night's Rest (Part 3)

Hang in there, we're almost to the end... Here are links to Part 1 and Part 2.

Stress is a common sleep inhibitor as many people end each day with a restless mind--racing with worry and concern for all of life’s problems that must be dealt with in the morning. Behavior experts suggest one way to combat this ‘worry’ loop is to end each day with a mental focus on all of the good things that happened during the day.  An act of kindness that you extended to someone, a compliment you may have received from a passenger, recognition from a colleague or supervisor regarding your job performance, or anything that makes you feel good about yourself will reduce your stress and help you to relax.

A word of caution: Despite their popularity, sleeping aids (and related remedies) are not recommended. Sleep aids won’t offer the help you need if you suffer from an undiagnosed sleeping disorder. You will be much better off seeking medical attention, if you experience persistent difficulties sleeping. 

Despite all of the things you can control to improve both the quality and quantity of sleep, you still might not be getting the amount of rest you need to function at your best

My wife has struggled with chronic fatigue for years, so she has tried everything. Several months ago, she developed the personal discipline to practice good sleep hygiene consistently day-after-day, including most weekends. Unfortunately, despite strict devotion to her new routine, Robin continued to have struggles sleeping through the night—waking up each day feeling exhausted and more desperate for help. This ultimately led to a doctor’s visit and a trip to a sleeping disorders clinic for a sleep study where she was expertly diagnosed with sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea is often treated with a device that provides continuous positive airway pressure commonly known as a C-PAP machine. Many insurance companies now include treatment of positive airway pressure in their coverage plans.

In addition to sleep apnea, there are a host of common sleep disorders (such as insomnia, bruxism, restless leg syndrome, and narcolepsy to name a few) that require diagnosis and treatment by a qualified physician.

We must also be aware that certain medications and food sensitivities can also impact our sleep and energy levels.

No matter how diligent we are about getting enough rest, there will be days when we still feel tired. On such occasions, we can turn to a couple of field-proven ‘refreshers’ to help us:

1)     Where there is time and space, take a short nap.

Dr. John Medina describes how our brains have a natural tendency towards lethargy each afternoon and how a short nap can help improve focus and reaction times for the remainder of the day. Past US Presidents, Thomas Edison, and Albert Einstein maintained their nimble minds by napping.

2)     Give yourself a “time out”

A “time out” serves a similar role for promoting healthy responses in adults as it does in rearing well-behaved children—it provides a break from emotional stress. An effective “time out” for adults involves setting aside ten to fifteen minutes each day so we can go someplace for calm and quiet. A chance to recharge, if you will. This requires us to completely unplug from our beloved hand-held devices, close our eyes, and maintain focus on our breathing – in and out, in and out. These moments of calm give our brains a chance to reset akin to rebooting a computer. The modern world generates a lot of noise that our brains are forced to process on a near-constant basis. Silence, therefore, is indeed golden.

3)     Exercise

Exercise helps us in a variety of ways by boosting our metabolism, improving our brain function, and increasing our energy levels. Regular exercise promotes vascular health and improves the quality of our sleep. Many books have been written extolling the benefits of exercise on brain function.

Fortunately, most transit properties now offer comfortable break rooms and well-equipped exercise facilities that employees can use to promote good health and well-being. You should try to use them as often as you can. You don't have to train like a triathlete to enjoy the benefits -- every little bit helps.

To summarize, you can ensure that you are performing at your best as a professional bus operator by:

• making sleep a priority
• practicing good sleep hygiene
• utilizing break rooms and/or other company resources
• exercising regularly

I suppose the sheer length of this post offers tremendous potential for putting you to sleep, so in that case -- read this series just before bed-time and rest well my friends.

References:

1. National Sleep Foundation, “Facts and Stats”, https://drowsydriving.org/about/facts-and-stats/
2. U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “2014 Crash Data Key Findings”, https://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/812219.pdf
3. Primary Source: National Sleep Foundation, “Facts”, https://drowsydriving.org/about/
4. UCLA Sleep Disorders Center, “VI. What Are The Signs of Drowsy Driving?”, https://sleepcenter.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=56
5. Primary Source: Harvard Medical School, “Adopt Good Sleep Habits”, https://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/need-sleep/what-can-you-do/good-sleep-habits
6. UCLA Sleep Disorders Center, “Living with PAP”, https://sleepcenter.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=58
7. For a list of medications that can make you drowsy, visit the UCLA Sleep Disorders Center website at https://sleepcenter.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=56
8. Dr. Donielle Wilson, “How Food Sensitivities Can Interfere with a Good Night’s Sleep”, https://doctordoni.com/2015/01/food-sensitivities-and-sleep/
9. Brain Rules, a fascinating book by Dr. John Medina, Chapter 3, “Sleep”