Sleep, law, and policy

This chapter focuses on the intersection between sleep, law, and policy. It briefly discusses the types of actions some governments around the world have taken in response to some of the societal problems and issues related to sleep. Because governments have a legitimate interest in protecting public and occupational health and safety in their respective societies, it is unsurprising that they have addressed drowsiness-related risks as a matter of law and public policy, particularly in populations and occupational groups that can be identified as being more likely to be affected by these risks. Although a variety of challenges exist for designing and implementing effective regulatory and policy schemes, greater 'scientifically informed' decision-making by stakeholders from relevant disciplines may lead to more effective efforts to managerisks associated with drowsiness as a matter of law and policy in the future.