Sleep and sleep-disordered breathing in commercial long-haul truck drivers.
We have performed a study assessing the prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing in a large US trucking company using a validated portable monitor (MESAM-4) and a validated symptom questionnaire. Three hundred eighty-eight drivers with a mean age of 36 years filled out the questionnaire. One hundred fifty-nine drivers with a mean age of 35 years spent the night at the terminal hub where they underwent monitoring for identification of sleep-disordered breathing. The drivers also had blood pressure recorded while awake, seated, and after 15 min of quiet rest. Seventy-eight percent of the drivers had an oxygen desaturation index (ODI) > or = 5 per hour of sleep; 10% had an ODI > or = 30 per hour of sleep. There was a significant difference in the body mass index (BMI) between drivers with ODI < 5 and drivers with ODI > or = 5 (25.7 +/- 6.0 kg/m2 in drivers with ODI < 5 vs 29.0 +/- 6.3 kg/m2 in drivers with ODI > or = 5, p < 0.001). Sixteen percent of all drivers tested were hypertensive. Twelve percent were unaware of their hypertension. Hypertensive drivers were significantly more overweight (p < 0.0001), slept more restlessly (p < 0.04), took more naps (p < 0.03), and woke up more frequently during the night (p < 0.005). About 20% of drivers presented symptoms indicating very regular sleep disturbances. Drivers who had been with the company for more than 1 year were more likely to present daytime fatigue, daytime tiredness, unrestorative sleep, hypertension, and higher BMI. Long-haul truck drivers have very irregular sleep/wake schedules and a high prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing. Chronic sleep/wake disruption and partial, prolonged sleep deprivation may worsen sleep-disordered breathing. This combination of problems may impact significantly on the daytime alertness of truckers.
Stoohs
R A
RA
Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic and Research Center, Palo Alto, Calif., USA.
Bingham
L A
LA
Itoi
A
A
Guilleminault
C
C
Dement
W C
WC
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D015995:Prevalence; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000150:complications; D013997:Time Factors; D014186:Transportation
D010100:Oxygen