Simple math test

[whit72]

Thought this was interesting:

Simple math test proves paramedics and firefighters at risk

by

Have you ever awakened feeling sleepy? Most of us do, and now experts say that grogginess is a lot like being drunk.

HealthFirst reporter Leslie LoBue says the average person is not able to perform at peak level for the first two hours after waking up.

Though the worst effects go away after about ten minutes, that entire two-hour window can be especially dangerous for people who have to make spilt-second decisions upon waking.

Firefighters are jolted awake for an emergency. "The adrenaline kicks in; you jump out of bed; you head for it," said fire rescue worker Lt. Max Twombly.

Adrenaline may help get them going, but it won't prevent the serious effects of morning sleepiness. "The brain takes a little while to wake up. We can't just go from zero to 60 in a few seconds," explained psychologist Kenneth P. Wright Jr.

Researchers at the University of Colorado are the first to scientifically measure the effects of what's called "sleep inertia" - a period of impaired thinking after waking up.

For one week, researchers studied sleepers. Upon waking up after eight hours of sleep, subjects were given a math test

"A simple mathematic test that an elementary school child should have been able to do, and they had impairments in their ability to do it," Wright said. "This suggests that the doctor being woken up on call or the emergency firefighter or the paramedic being woken up out of sleep to go respond quickly to an emergency, that they are going to be potentially at risk."

So what can you do to get rid of morning grogginess? Turn on a bright light. Crank up the volume on the radio or television. Exercise. and drink soda, coffee tea, but they take about 30 minutes to have an effect.

Copyright ©2006 ABC Inc., WJRT, Inc.

I have an idea...No more calls after midnight yahooooooooo

Seriously this interesting, wish it was a little more in-depth. Example of the test.

Thoughts?

[tinman694]

We should all take said math test before responding to any call.....

Wonder how many could pass it even fully awake? :shock: