Millar, M. Measuring Fatigue
Visual (Linear) Analogue Scales
Various occupations require careful assessment of fatigue in order to protect the public from harm. Aviation workers are one group who are susceptible to fatigue and who therefore require careful monitoring.
Some of the techniques used to assess pilot and aviation worker fatigue could be useful for people impacted by night time noise and sleep disturbance from noise pollution. One simple to use method is known as the Visual or Linear Analogue Scale.
Method:
Draw a line exactly 10cm long with no end bars (see slide number 7 in the presentation by Dr Millar below)
The person recording their sleep puts a small vertical mark somewhere on the line to indicate what their sleep was like the previous night. It needs to be done first thing in the morning before drawing the curtains.
The left hand end is the “worst sleep ever“, and the right hand end is the “best sleep ever.”
Use a fresh line on a new page every morning, and make sure you don’t look at the sheet for the day before.
The researcher measures from left to right (0 – 10cm) and records the score.
A section for comments below the line would be useful too, about the remembered awakenings (time they occured, number of episodes, and how many episodes per night, any noise or perception of vibration or other symptoms associated with operating turbines.)
Further details about this and other methods of assessing fatigue are available in Dr Millar’s presentation.