Sleep Deprivation is Also Dangerous     Sleep deprivation can have some of the same hazardous effects as being drunk. That's the finding of a study published in the British journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, based on research in Australia and New Zealand.      Getting less than 6 hours of sleep a night can affect coordination, reaction time and judgment, they said, posing "a very serious risk."     Drivers are especially vulnerable, the researchers warned. They found that people who drive after being awake for 17 to 19 hours performed worse than those with a blood alcohol level of .05 percent. That's the legal limit for drunk driving in most western European countries, though most U.S. states set their blood alcohol limits at .1 percent and a few at .08 percent.     The study said 16 to 60 percent of road accidents involve sleep deprivation. The researchers said countries with drunk driving laws should consider similar restrictions against sleep-deprived driving.     The British Medical Association warned that there are other problems associated with sleep deprivation beyond impaired motor skills. People who get too little sleep may have higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression, and may take unnecessary risks.     People who work long shifts or night shifts, such as medical personnel or other emergency workers, may also have troubles.

A University of Pennsylvania Medical School study found that sleep loss disturbs people's moods, making them confused and unable to think straight. They have expended so much energy to stay awake that when something happens to disturb them, they get angry -- they don't have the resources left to cope.

Some scientists have even speculated that poor sleep habits may be partly behind skyrocketing levels of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

According to the National Sleep Council in Washington D.C. the average American sleeps 7 hours on week nights, an hour and a half less than a century ago. One-third the population averages 6.5 or fewer hours sleep per night.

University of Chicago Department of Medicine researchers have also made the link between sleep deprivation and diabetes and obesity.

Experiments found that sleep deprived participants were hungrier, probably because of reduced concentrations of leptin, a hormone that tells people when they're full.

What to do: Discuss sleep issues with your employees. Encourage rest, relaxation, and sleep as a quality of life issue. Consider offering rest periods. Some employers have gone as far as providing rooms and time for power naps.

In a federally supported study on how the brain processes information, Harvard University researchers found that subjects' performance fell off as the day wore on. But when the subject took a 30-minute nap, their performance for the rest of the day stabilized. When nap time lasted an hour, their afternoon performance returned to morning levels.

Companies in Japan and France already have nap rooms where employees can recharge. The trend is catching on in the United States.

Tips for a Snooze

People who aren't getting 8 hours of sleep and suspect a daylight snooze might boost creativity, productivity and improve their mood, might consider some of these tips.

 To avoid disrupting circadian rhythms, schedule naps about eight hours after waking and eight hours before bedding down for the night.

 Create a routine that includes napping even on days you don't feel particularly tired.

 Lie down to nap if possible - it's the optimal position.

 Close the office door and turn off the phone to avoid subliminally worrying about being disturbed.

 Take a minute for some slow, deep breaths before hunkering down. These will help your body relax into sleep.

 After waking, take a minute to reorient yourself by taking a few more deep breaths and stretching. Abruptly kicking into gear shocks the nervous system, undermining the wonderful benefits of napping.