Common MYTHS about fatigue:
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Myth: Excessive fatigue is caused by things other than sleep deprivation (e.g., boring lectures; warm rooms).
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Fact: Boring lectures and warm rooms may unmask, but do not cause sleepiness.
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Myth: Excessive daytime sleepiness means that the resident is not getting enough sleep.
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Fact: Sleepiness can also be a sign of an underlying medical condition or sleep disorder.
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Myth: Sleep deprivation is NOT associated with health risks.
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Fact: Sleep deprivation affects cognition and performance; physiologically, the effect of 24 hours of wakefulness on the body is equivalent to being legally drunk; many residents report having car accidents or near misses because of sleepiness after on-call duty.
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