Isixwayiso Kumshayeli Owezelayo
KUBANGELA izingozi ezilinganiselwa ku-600 000 nokufa kwabangu-12 000 unyaka ngamunye emigwaqweni emikhulu e-United States. Kuthiwa amaphesenti angu-40 okushayisa kwezimoto okuphumela ekufeni eminyakeni yamuva eMgwaqweni Omkhulu Wezimoto Ezigijimayo waseNew York abangelwe yiko. Konke lokhu kucekela phansi kubangelwa ukushayela komuntu, hhayi ephuzile noma esebenzise izidakamizwa, kodwa ozela. Ezinye izazi zikholelwa ukuthi umsuka walenkinga awukona ukuphazamiseka kokulala, okunjenge-apnea noma ukuqwasha, kodwa umane nje uyindlela yokuphila yawo-1990. “Abantu baseMelika abasakutholi ukulala kunaseminyakeni embalwa edlule,” kusho uDkt. William Dement waseStanford University Sleep Research Center. UDave Willis, umqondisi oyilungu lesigungu se-American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety, uthi: “Abantu bavele bazikhandle ngokweqile.”
Kukhathaza kakhulu ukuthi abashayeli abaningi abozelayo bathatha izihlwathi bengazi. “Isihlwathi esincú,” njengoba izazi zisibiza kanjalo, singathatha imizuzwana embalwa nje, kodwa imiphumela isiyonke ingaba ethusayo. “Ngangikhumbula ngidlula intuba 17, bese ngibona izimpawu zentuba 21,” kulandisa omunye umshayeli. “Ngangiye ngicabange, ngidlule nini ngempela kulezi ezinye izintuba? Uyaqaphela ukuthi kuyisimangaliso kwakhona ukuthi ufikile nokufika lapho obulibangise khona.”
Indlela engcono kakhulu yokulwa nokukhathala kokushayela ukuma bese uphumula. Ungase udinge kuphela isihlwathi esiyimizuzu engu-10 kuya kwengu-20 usendaweni ephephile. Okungcono nakakhulu, yiba nombono ongokoqobo lapho uhlela uhambo. Ungazami ukuhamba ibanga elide kunalokho ongakwenza. Futhi, hlonipha iwashi lomzimba wakho langaphakathi ngokugwema ukushayela isikhathi eside ebusuku nangokuphumula isikhathi eside ngaphambi kokuqala uhambo. Ngaphezu kwakho konke, ungalokothi uyithathe kalula ingozi yokushayela wezela. UMark Hammer weNew York’s Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research uthi: “[Ku]bi njengokuphuza amathamo amahlanu otshwala bese ungena emotweni.”