Title: Morning chronotypes and post-lunch dip: an investigation of driving fatigue in well-rested subjects

Authors: Kadek Heri Sanjaya; Auditya Purwandini Sutarto; Kristiana Asih Damayanti; Natasha Hadi

Addresses: Research Centre for Smart Mechatronics, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Jln Sangkuriang, Bandung, Indonesia ' Department of Industrial Engineering, Universitas Qomaruddin, Jln Raya Bungah Sidayu Gresik, East Java, Indonesia ' Department of Industrial Engineering, Universitas Katolik Parahyangan, Jln Ciumbuleuit No.94, Bandung, Indonesia ' Department of Industrial Engineering, Universitas Katolik Parahyangan, Jln Ciumbuleuit No.94, Bandung, Indonesia

Abstract: The current literature lacks comprehensive knowledge regarding the relative and combined effects of task-related factors, such as driving in monotonous environments, and the 'post-lunch dip'-n afternoon bi-circadian increase in sleepiness-particularly within a specific chronotype group. This study aims at investigating the impact of post-lunch driving and time-on-task on fatigue and performance among well-rested morning-type individuals during simulated driving. Twelve male participants with a morningness chronotype completed a series of lane change test simulated driving tasks, comprising three 20-minute blocks both before and after lunch. The results demonstrated a significant main effect of the 'post-lunch dip' on reaction time, alertness, and self-reported sleepiness. However, neither the time spent on the task nor the interaction between sleep- and task-related factors yielded significant effects on the measured variables. Furthermore, medium to high correlations among all pairs of measures suggest a good agreement for detecting fatigue and sleepiness in driving tasks.

Keywords: post-lunch; drowsiness; chronotype; driving; fatigue; sleepiness; morningness.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHFE.2023.135478

International Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics, 2023 Vol.10 No.4, pp.417 - 436

Received: 13 May 2023
Accepted: 31 Aug 2023
Published online: 14 Dec 2023 *

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