SAN DIEGO, CA – Sunday night football may be bringing the Monday morning blues to drivers.

A four-year data analysis by Lytx, a telematics provider, found incidents due to drowsiness increased by 53% for waste truck drivers from August to November, annually. For Mondays and Tuesdays that number rose to 78%.

In 2016, those numbers rose to 112% for August to November, and 170% spike for just Mondays and Tuesdays over the same months.

Those months represent the first four in the pre-season and regular season play for the National Football League (NFL) in the United States. This year’s pre-season is already under way, with the regular season set to start September 7.

The start of the NFL season also coincides with the back-to-school season, giving drivers extra reasons to be both tired and careful on the road.

Darrell Smith, president and CEO of the National Waste and Recycling Association, and Lytx chief client officer Dave Riordan agree fleets should be encouraging their drivers to maintain good sleep habits this time of year.

“Waste drivers have one of the toughest jobs in America, and on top of a strenuous work day, they tend to have very early shifts, heading out to make their rounds before the sun’s come up,” said Smith. “Combine that with a late night of watching football, and the risk of drowsy driving is predictable – but solvable.”

The study reviewed the driving behaviors of 33,000 drivers of the five largest private waste companies in the United States from 2012 to 2016.