News and events
- Prescription for Patient Safety
- Don’t forget to re-set your body clock
- Elite athletes tested between the sheets
- DJ tries to break world record
- Drinking and drowsiness a deadly mix
- Sleep shortage to blame for obesity epidemic?
- We can tell if you're good in bed
- Toddlers and preschoolers short on sleep
- UniSA sleep study helping pilots get through the night
- Kids Behaving Badly? Sleep Could be the Solution
- World experts look at life's risky business
May 11th, 2007
Prescription for Patient Safety
Mistakes happen everywhere, but when they happen in healthcare they can be deadly. That’s why a prescription for improved patient safety is now on the national agenda.
“This is a major issue right now with the aging population, increased demands on the healthcare system and a chronic shortage of doctors,” explains Dr. Matthew Thomas, Director of UniSA’s Human Factors and Safety Management program.
“Improving safety and not putting the public at risk is about having the right systems in place to reduce errors and uncover hidden threats before it’s too late.”
Some statistics suggest up to 10% of people admitted to hospital are subjected to a preventable adverse event – the majority of which can be attributed to human error. And while many studies are still in the early stages, experts agree changes need to be made now to protect the public. To this end, the Human Factors and Safety Management group will be hosting an international Patient Safety Seminar on May 24th.
“By bringing key stakeholders, health care workers and error management experts together we can focus on the clinical standards, work practices and protocols that need to be developed and adapted to reduce, better detect and better manage errors and enhance patient safety outcomes,” says Dr. Thomas.
“At the end of the day, one person dying because of a preventable adverse event in healthcare is one too many.”
The Human Factors and Safety Management group at UniSA is host to one of Australia’s leading postgraduate education and industry-based research programs. It works collaboratively with a wide range of high-risk industries including healthcare, aviation and rail.
Dr. Thomas is able to provide expert comment on patient safety issues in advance of the seminar as well as any other risk and safety management issues.
Event Details:
When: Thursday, 24th May 9am-5pm
Where: UniSA City East Campus, Playford Building, Level 7, Room 27
Dr Matthew Thomas
0438 808 808
email: matthew.thomas@unisa.edu.au
Media Contact:
Suzie Coldwell
08 8302 6624
email: susan.coldwell@unisa.edu.au
March 22, 2007
Don’t forget to re-set your body clock
If you think you’re going to get an extra hour of sleep this weekend when you set the clocks back, think again. Sleep experts say most of us will probably wake up at our body’s usual time, regardless of what the clock says.
“The body doesn’t know that we changed the clock on the wall,” says Dr. Sarah Blunden of the University of South Australia’s Centre for Sleep Research.
“When we go on or off Daylight Saving Time, we also have to re-set our body clocks and it’s important to realize that we can’t change the body clock as fast as the clock on the wall.”
This is especially true for children, who will likely wake up an hour earlier on Sunday morning. One of Australia’s leading paediatric sleep specialists, Dr. Blunden says it can take up to a week to get children back on track.
“Kids aren’t going to be tired just because the clock says it’s their bedtime. There’s going to be a readjustment period and kids may be energetic at times they weren’t before and tired at times they weren’t before. Parents need to understand this is perfectly normal.”
If children aren’t sleepy at bedtime on Sunday night, Dr, Blunden recommends putting them to bed when their body clock is used to going to sleep. For example, if a child’s bedtime is 7pm, they should go to bed when the clock says 8pm. Then each night put the child to bed 10-15 minutes earlier until they’re back to a 7pm bedtime.
“This gradual adjustment works really well for most kids and is much better than forcing a child who isn’t sleepy to go to sleep just because the clock says they should.”
To further reduce any sleep disruption, Dr. Blunden suggests getting kids outside between 6-9am to help re-set their body clocks. Exposure to sunlight at this time helps us wake up and is the most beneficial for regulating sleep/wake patterns. This is because light suppresses the sleep hormone melatonin and the more we suppress melatonin in the morning, the more likely it is to rise in the evening when we need it. Doing something energetic outside, such as exercise, will also help re-set our body clocks.
“Walking to work or school is great and for young children, going to the playground first thing in the morning can help,” Dr. Blunden explains. “If you don’t have time for that, simply eating breakfast outside will have a benefit.”
Before bedtime, minimizing exposure to light and avoiding exercise will have the opposite effect. That’s why experts say a restful night time routine that doesn’t involve television is so important to good sleep. Dr. Blunden’s suggestions include reading a story, having a bath or quiet time with parents.
Contact for interviews
Dr. Sarah Blunden
0414 700 953
sarah.blunden@unisa.edu.au
Media contact
Tess van Straaten
0412 102 662
tess.vanstraaten@unisa.edu.au
January 17, 2007
Elite athletes tested between the sheets
The road isn’t the only place elite cyclists competing in the Tour Down Under are worried about performance. For two teams taking part this year, how well they sleep at the end of each race day is also being tested.
“These are some of the best athletes in Australia and the chance to study them while they’re at the height of competition is an amazing opportunity,” says Dr. Greg Roach of UniSA’s Centre for Sleep Research.
“While we know sleep has a huge impact on pretty much everything we do, very little research has been done on how it affects elite athletes and this will be one of the first studies to look at top athletes in competition.”
A collaborative venture with the Australian Institute of Sport, the study is part of a new project looking at the sleep and performance of elite athletes in the lead-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
“Sleep is one of the most important things for an athlete’s recovery and it certainly impacts on performance,” explains Dr. Shona Halson, a senior physiologist and Director of the new Recovery Centre at the Australian Institute of Sport. “The more we know, the more we can try and maximise the performance of our athletes in competition.”
Tour Down Under teams UniSA and SA.com/AIS are taking part in the study along with last year’s race winner, Simon Gerrans, and world-renown cycling commentator Phil Liggett. The cyclists and a control group (made up of Liggett and those traveling with the teams) will be wearing special wrist watches called activity monitors. The activity monitors will help determine how much sleep the cyclists are getting compared to the control group.
“What you’re doing affects your sleep and how you sleep affects what you do,” explains Dr. Roach. “This will help us understand what happens to sleep during elite competition.”
“It will be interesting to see what transpires as the cyclists get more fatigued,” adds. Dr. Halson. “Will they get more sleep or less sleep? The answer could be huge for Australian sport.”
Media contact
Tess van Straaten
0412 102 662
tess.vanstraaten@unisa.edu.au
Or
Peter Logue (AIS)
0402 067 614
Peter.Logue@ausport.gov.au
June 11, 2006
DJ tries to break world record
A Melbourne-based DJ will try to spin tunes for five days straight starting
Monday in an attempt to break a Guinness World Record. Matt Solo, also known
as DJ Promo, will forgo sleep to try and achieve 100 hours of continuous mixing.
'It's not going to be easy', DJ Promo admits. 'But once I hit the decks, I wake
up big time and I think the adrenaline will keep me going.'
The internationally renowned DJ has asked experts at UniSA's Centre for Sleep
Research to monitor his world record attempt to see how the sleep deprivation
affects his performance.
'The research shows that just one night without sleep impairs a person's performance
as much as someone with a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit', UniSA
fatigue expert Jill Dorrian explains. 'Matt will be awake four times longer
than that and is likely to experience extreme levels of sleepiness, reduced
ability to concentrate, fluctuations in mood, performance impairment and possibly
even hallucinations.'
DDJ Promo will wear a special wrist monitor called an actiwatch before, during
and after his record attempt to gather scientific data. He'll also take several
fatigue tests during his mammoth DJ session and be hooked up to high-tech sleep
monitoring equipment when he finally goes to bed. Supplied by Compumedics Ltd.,
the system will measure DJ Promo's brain waves to determine the length and quality
of his sleep cycles.
'This is a really unique opportunity, not only because it involves continuous
wakefulness, but also because it involves continuous performance', Dr. Dorrian
says. 'We're very interested in watching Matt continue to DJ as he becomes progressively
more tired. We're also very interested in the recovery process he'll go through
following his 100-hours awake.'
The current world record for longest club DJ session is 84 hours. To set a new
record, DJ Promo needs to play a continuous live mix of vinyl or CDs with no
premixing allowed. The Guinness World Record rules also stipulate that no piece
of music can be repeated within four hours, but DJ Promo's determined not to
play anything twice.
The world record attempt, which hopes to raise $500,000 for charity, will kick
off at 9am Monday in Melbourne's Federation Square and end Friday at 2pm. It's
estimated Matt will spin 1,500 different tracks in his record attempt.
Contact for interviews
Dr. Jill Dorrian
0423 053 289
jill.dorrian@unisa.edu.au
Media contact
Tess van Straaten
0412 102 662
tess.vanstraaten@unisa.edu.au
May 30, 2006
Drinking and drowsiness a deadly mix
The dangers of drink driving are well known but according to a new UniSA study, one or two alcoholic drinks could be just as deadly if you drive tired. Researchers at the Centre for Sleep Research found that participants well under the legal limit of 0.05 displayed the same motor impairment as drivers who were drunk.
'Our study showed that after just half an hour, their driving was clearly impaired with more deviations the longer they drove', lead researcher Stuart Baulk explains. 'This was especially true in the last 20 minutes of the driving experiment when subjects either crashed, almost crashed or ran off the road.'
The year-long study compared the effects of a good night's sleep (8-9 hours) and no alcohol with insufficient sleep (4 hours) and low, legal doses of alcohol (0.025 and 0.035g/dL) on healthy males aged 18 to 30. The participants then spent 70 minutes in a driving simulator where it became clear that driving tired after just a small amount of alcohol put them at far greater risk than the known effects of only driving fatigued.
'These results should be setting off alarm bells for tired drivers who drink alcohol', Dr Baulk says. 'The combined effect of alcohol consumption mixed with sleepiness puts drivers at much greater risk of accidents and death by dangerous driving than sleepiness alone because the alcohol amplifies the fatigue.'
Fatigue causes approximately 20 per cent of motor vehicle crashes each year in Australia, many of which are fatal. Researchers hope this study will help the public understand the dangers of not only driving tired, but also that fatigue and alcohol don't mix.
'We want people to pay attention to their levels of sleepiness, realise their limitations and manage their alcohol intake to minimise risk', Dr. Baulk says. 'And minimising risk no longer means making sure you're under 0.05. If you're fatigued, no alcohol may be your safest bet if you plan to drive—especially in the middle of the day when we're naturally more tired in the afternoon.'
The study was funded by the Australian Brewer's Foundation and done in collaboration with the Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health at the Repatriation General Hospital.
Contact for interviews
Dr. Stuart Baulk
0410 796 381
stuart.baulk@unisa.edu.au
Media contact
Tess van Straaten
0412 102 662
tess.vanstraaten@unisa.edu.au
May 12, 2006
Sleep shortage to blame for obesity epidemic?
Junk food and a lack of exercise are blamed for the growing obesity epidemic among Australian kids, but a shortage of sleep could also be a factor. A new study at UniSA's Centre for Sleep Research is looking at whether children and teenagers who don't get enough sleep face an increased risk of obesity.
'A staggering one in four kids in Australia is now obese and while sleep might not seem a likely culprit, there's growing scientific evidence that the less you sleep, the more likely you are to be obese', says lead researcher Dr. Sarah Blunden.
This is first study of its kind in Australia to look at the link between sleep
and obesity and one of the first in the world to focus on kids.
'We know that adults who get less than six hours sleep or more than 10 hours sleep are more likely to be fat', explains Dr. Blunden. 'But no one knows where the threshold is for kids, who obviously need more sleep than adults.'
Preliminary evidence from a small sampling of primary school students in Darwin found that 100 per cent of children who slept for less than six hours per night were either overweight or obese. While well under the recommend nine to 10 hours sleep for children in this age group, researchers are now trying to determine if less than 7 or 8 hours sleep in children may have a similar effect.
'When we don't get enough sleep, we believe it might confuse our appetite hormones', Dr. Blunden explains. 'The body's natural appetite suppressant would then become an appetite stimulant and people would gain weight. So far, it appears sleep is a factor in kids and if it is, it's certainly a controllable one.'
Final results are expected at the end of year.
Contact for interviews
Dr. Sarah Blunden
0414 700 953
sarah.blunden@unisa.edu.au
Media contact
Tess van Straaten
0412 102 662
tess.vanstraaten@unisa.edu.au
March 10, 2006
We can tell if you're good in bed
We all do it. Sleep, that is. But how many of us actually get enough sleep?
Or the quality of sleep we need?
'We spend about a third of our lives in the sack', says Professor Drew Dawson,
director of UniSA's Centre for Sleep Research. 'We can tell if you're good in
bed.'
The largest sleep lab in Australia, UniSA's Centre for Sleep Research is officially
opening its new Adelaide lab on Friday, March 10th. World-renowned for it its
groundbreaking research into sleep, fatigue, human factors and safety management,
the Centre's new state-of-the-art City East campus lab will support even more
life-saving research.
'We're all affected by fatigue', explains Professor Dawson. 'Whether we're driving
down the road beside a drowsy driver, getting on an airplane for a long-haul
flight, trying to get our kids to sleep or going to bed later than we should.
While in the best case scenario fatigue just makes us cranky, in the worst case
it can kill—and it does.'
That's why the Centre for Sleep Research is working to not only identify real-world
problems, but to help solve them. From aviation to health care, the Centre's
extensive collaboration with industry is reducing sleep-related mistakes and
helping to save lives in Australia and around the world. We're working with
doctors, nurses, pilots, airlines, train drivers, truck drivers, industry giants
and governments to help reduce fatigue-related mistakes.
Industry partners such as Qantas, Royal Flying Doctors, Pacific National Rail,
Canadian Pacific Rail and CFS will be on hand to celebrate the exciting work
being done to improve safety.
UniSA Vice-Chancellor and President and South Australian of the year Professor
Denise Bradley is hosting the event. The Honourable Stephanie Key, Minister
for Employment, Training and Further Education will help open the new lab. In
the spirit of sleep research, the lab grand opening is a pyjama party.
PJ Party Details
When: Friday, March 10th, 2006 from 4–7p.m. (PJ's optional)
Where: Room 35, Level 7 Playford Building, UniSA City East
Campus (corner of Frome Rd & North Tce)
Media contact
Tess van Straaten
0412 102 662
tess.vanstraaten@unisa.edu.au
March 3, 2006
Toddlers and preschoolers short on sleep
Not getting enough sleep is a common problem for parents of infants and young
children, but a new study has found that the little tykes may also be sleep
deprived.
'This is a much bigger problem than people realise', explains Dr. Sarah Blunden
of the University of South Australia's Centre for Sleep Research. 'Not enough
sleep in this age group not only causes bad behaviour but also affects growth
and development, which is so important in young children.'
The study, conducted at Brown University Medical School in the U.S., looked
at the sleep routines of 169 children aged one to five. Counting all sleep and
naps in a 24-hour period, the study found that every child was coming up short
of the recommended 12-15 hours sleep per day.
The three to five-year olds were getting less than 9.5 hours sleep—a shortfall
of at least 2.5 to 5.5 hours, while the toddlers were short 1.5 to 4.5 hours
of sleep.
'This is a significant amount of sleep', Dr. Blunden says. 'At the lower end,
the little ones are short a nap each day but at the higher end they're getting
less than two thirds of the sleep they need.'
Dr. Blunden conducted a similar study on five to 12 year-olds and found that
up to 40% had 'significant' sleep disorders. This lack of sleep led to poor
concentration and memory, reduced attention span, lower marks in school, poor
performance in sports, moodiness, behaviour problems and even obesity.
'Parents can usually tell when their kids are tired—they act out, they're
uncooperative and difficult to deal with', adds Dr. Blunden.
'But if parents make the effort to have set bedtimes and wake times, quiet time
before bed and a daily nap for younger children to ensure they get enough sleep,
it'll make a big difference. The child will do better and the family will be
happier.'
Contact for interviews:
Dr Sarah Blunden
0414 700 953
sarah.blunden@unisa.edu.au
Media contact:
Tess van Straaten
0412 102 662
tess.vanstraaten@unisa.edu.au
August 10, 2005
UniSA sleep study helping pilots get through the night
University of South Australia researchers are working to make flying safer and reduce the risks in night flying, thanks to a special grant from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB). The $25,000 grant will support an investigation into the effects of night flights on commercial pilots and how that impacts on performance and safety.
The study will focus on transcontinental 'back of clock' operations, which typically involve late-night departures from Perth for early morning arrivals on the east coast. Evidence already shows this is an extremely difficult time to fly for pilots and researches are trying to find out what can be done to improve safety.
'Flying a plane through the middle of the night when your body wants to sleep can have a huge effect on performance,' explains lead researcher Dr Matthew Thomas from UniSA's Centre for Sleep Research.
'We know that 'back of clock' flying can affect critical tasks like reaction times, decision-making and overall awareness.
'We also know this can be a big problem. There have been a number of incidents over the years on these night flights in Australia where fatigue could be to blame.
'By looking at fatigue on these flights, we're trying to find out how to build better flight rosters to help pilots and keep our skies safer.'
Transportation Minister Warren Truss says the ATSB Aviation Safety Research grant is part of the Australian Government's commitment to improving aviation safety for the fare-paying public.
Contact for interviews:
Dr Matthew Thomas
0438 808 808
matthew.thomas@unisa.edu.au
Media contact:
Tess van Straaten
0412 102 662
tess.vanstraaten@unisa.edu.au
July 19th, 2005
Kids Behaving Badly? Sleep Could be the Solution
Kids who act out may have bad sleep to blame for their bad behaviour. A new study has found that kids with behaviour issues are five times more likely to have sleep problems such as night terrors, sleep walking, sleep talking, difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep, and daytime sleepiness.
'Poor sleep equals poor behaviour, no matter how we looked at it,' explains Dr. Sarah Blunden of the University of South Australia's Centre for Sleep Research.
The year-long UniSA study found that every child with a behaviour problem had a sleep issue. Researchers also discovered that kids who don't get a good night's sleep do worse in school and are more likely to need remedial teaching.
'There's not a single classroom in the world that doesn't have kids with behavioural problems,' Dr. Blunden said. 'These kids are not living up to their potential and it could be as simple as sleep.'
In otherwise healthy children, experts say improving sleep may be the easiest way to improve behaviour and better academic performance. Dr. Blunden has these tips for better sleep:
'The most important thing is for kids to have a regular bedtime and a regular wake time, which shouldn't be more than an hour later than usual on weekends and holidays. You should also keep TV's and computers out of kids' rooms Ð they're a stimulant and a temptation to stay awake, and they could affect your child's sleep hormone.'
Many parents may also be surprised to learn that spicy or salty foods in the evening, such as pizza, can affect sleep and cause your kids to wake up in the middle of the night because they're thirsty. Experts also recommend a quiet bedroom that's not too hot or too cold and a good bedtime routine, such as reading a book to younger children or letting older kids listen to calming music with the lights out before bed.
'If parents make the effort to improve their kids' sleep, they should see big benefits Ð not just for that child, but the entire family.'
Contact for interviews:
Dr. Sarah Blunden
08 8222 6624
sarah.blunden@unisa.edu.au
Media contact:
Tess van Straaten, PR Manager
8222 6624
tess.vanstraaten@unisa.edu.au
May 16, 2005
World experts look at life's risky business
The chance of a plane crash, train or trucking accident or fatal medical mistake in Australia is a lot higher than you might think. That's why world experts on safety management are meeting in Adelaide on Thursday, May 19th.
The goal is to try to prevent accidents in Australia's 'high-risk' industries that could have deadly consequences. Stakeholders in key industries such as aviation, defence, transport, mining and health care will find out what they can do to avoid catastrophic accidents thanks to innovations in safety management.
'Even after decades of safety improvements, by their very nature, high-risk industries are still "risky",' says Dr Matthew Thomas from the University of South Australia's Centre for Applied Behavioural Science.
'Planes and trains are involved in accidents, ships sink and people die in hospitals due to adverse medical events. The situation would be much worse if advances hadn't already been made, but there's still a lot of room for improvement."
Experts say we're exposed to these kind of risks every day: taking public transport to work, driving down the highway, living or working near refineries and factories, or flying off for a holiday. The devastating plane crash in far-North Queensland recently has highlighted this, and the urgent need for improvement.
'Improving safety and not putting the public at risk is about uncovering the hidden threats, before it's too late,' explains Dr Thomas.
'To do that, high-risk industries need to have special systems in place to monitor and evaluate risk. UniSA is a world leader in this area and we're committed to boosting safety in Australia.'
To address this critical issue, UniSA's Centre for Applied Behavioural Science will be holding this special workshop for high-risk industries as well as launching three exciting new post-graduate programs in safety management.
'By training new experts in this field, we believe we are making a long term contribution to making environments safer for all Australians,' Dr Thomas said.
Event details:
Thursday, May 19th, 9.00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m.
Brookman Hall, UniSA City East Campus (corner of
Frome Rd & North Tce)
Contact for interviews:
Dr Matthew Thomas
08 8222 6624
matthew.thomas@unisa.edu.au
Media contact:
Tess van Straaten, PR Manager
08 8222 6624
tess.vanstraaten@unisa.edu.au