Whether you’re behind the wheel of a car, operating a power tool, or changing a light bulb, drowsiness can sneak up when you least expect it, causing lapses of attention and putting you at risk of hazardous errors.
Did you know that poor sleep can affect your performance as much as alcohol? That’s right. Being awake for 22 hours straight can slow your reaction time more than four drinks can. And just like alcohol, sleepiness impairs judgment, so you don’t necessarily know you’re impaired when you are.
Reaction time is one of the first things to go when you’re sleep deprived. Test how alert you are with this 5-minute reaction time challenge.
Can you react quickly enough to avoid an accident?
Note: This activity takes a full five minutes to complete. You may feel tempted to stop a couple of minutes in. The reason it takes so long is that sustained concentration is part of what wanes when you are tired so your overall reaction time score needs to account for your performance over the full time period.
