Data for: Counteracting Sleep Inertia During Automated Driving: Effects of an Image-Based Reaction-Time Game and a Multimodal Wake-Up Program on Driving Performance, Cognitive Activation and Physiological Arousal After Sleep.
Year: 2026
Type: dataset
Abstract: As automated driving technologies advance, vehicle occupants may increasingly use travel time to sleep. A key safety challenge arises when control must be transferred back to the driver, as awakening is often accompanied by sleep inertia, a transitional state characterized by reduced alertness and impaired driving performance. This study evaluated two concepts to mitigate sleep inertia: the Tinsta Game, a short image-based reaction task designed to stimulate cognitive activity, and the Wake-Up Program, combining guided breathing, stretching, light, music, scents, and a hand-coordination task. Forty-two participants completed four conditions in a dynamic driving simulator. Three conditions involved sleep during an automated ride followed by three minutes of either no intervention, the Tinsta Game, or the Wake-Up Program, while participants remained awake in a fourth condition. Afterwards, there was a takeover request with subsequent manual driving. Sleep was verified using electroencephalography. Both concepts persistently reduced subjective sleepiness after awakening. Physiological arousal, measured with skin conductance level, heart rate and heart rate variability, was significantly increased while effects on safety relevant driving and takeover performance were modest. The three-minute rest period (no intervention condition) might have already reduced the most significant impairments caused by sleep inertia on performance, which could explain these results. However, the concepts made participants feel safer and fitter while driving and the user experience was evaluated positively. To increase the effects on driving performance, we propose to integrate elements that specifically prepare drivers for the driving task.
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7202317024