Half of the 344 commercial airline pilots who participated in a study of sleep disorders had insomnia, more than one-third had impaired sleep quality, and one quarter were experiencing increased sleepiness, according to a report on the study.1
In addition, 17 percent were in danger of developing sleep apnea.
The study of Saudi Arabian pilots by Saudi Arabian researchers, published in the December issue of Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance, found that older, more experienced pilots were less likely than their younger counterparts to experience impaired sleep quality, insomnia, sleepiness, fatigue and depression.
“This may be due to the adaptation of pilots to the nature of their occupation and the direct concomitant shifts on the circadian rhythm,” the report said. “This could also be because senior pilots are entitled to flight schedule privileges.”
The report concluded that a “more robust and objective assessment” of sleep disorders s…
