Australian researchers have identified a new, brain-based measure of chronic sleepiness that could be diagnosed in just two minutes, predicting whether someone is safe to drive, operate machinery, or even alert enough to sit an exam.

At some point, many of us have experienced the post-lunch sleepy hour, struggling to stay alert mid-afternoon, and reaching for the water bottle to rehydrate a tired body.

But what about those people who suffer from “excessive daytime somnolence”, aka sleepiness that lasts throughout the day?

It’s a recognised medical condition that is normally diagnosed by a doctor after a full-day hospital procedure, undergoing what is called the Multiple Wakefulness Test (MWT).

Now, researchers from the University of South Australia have identified a new, brain-based measure of sleepiness that may provide a diagnosis in just two minutes.

Electrodes attached to the scalp in the form of an electroencephalogram (EEG) measure the electrical activity of the brain and this activity can determine the length of time it takes an individual to fall asleep.

In a separate, recent paper published in Brain Research, lead researcher, UniSA neuroscientist Dr Alex Chatburn, says that using new EEG markers linked to biological processes could predict whether someone is safe enough to drive, operate machinery, or even have the mental capacity to sit an exam.

“Sleepiness is a critical biological signal that indicates the body’s need for sleep, yet measuring this state in humans remains elusive,” Dr Chatburn says.

[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006899324003421?via%3Dihub](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006899324003421?via%3Dihub)