Loughborough University, Transport Safety Research Group

2023Drivers

11 Jul

Written By Edward Seaman

Self-administered caffeine-nap intervention for driver sleepiness: efficacy for obstructive sleep apnoea patients

Amount awarded

£142,846

Due to complete

2026

Making roads safer for…

Drivers

Project summary

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) patients are at increased risk of driver sleepiness yet there is a gap in evidence for this specific demographic regarding what they should do if they feel tired when driving.

This project evaluates the efficacy of a "caffeine-nap" as a countermeasure to driver sleepiness for OSA patients. The outcome of the project will be an evidence-based recommendation for caffeine-nap best practice for tired OSA drivers.

Recommendations will be targeted to OSA patients (disseminated through OSA charities), physicians and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and produced in accessible format including a short video.

The evidence-based intervention will seek to understand current in-vehicle nap practice, evaluate its efficacy for OSA patients and produce targeted guidance for caffeine-nap best practice for sleepy OSA drivers.

All UK

Edward Seaman