By Dr. Anuj Chandra, M.D., D.ABSM
Pilots and train operators hold hundreds of lives in their hands every day. But, according to a new poll, they themselves say they are not getting enough sleep and it is affecting their job performance.
This year's Sleep In America poll by the National Sleep Foundation is the first poll to ask transportation professionals -- including pilots and train operators, as well as truckers, and bus/taxi/limo drivers -- about how they sleep and whether it affects their work performance.
The results are quite worrisome, but understanding the problem is the first step toward finding a solution.
Pilots and train operators say they are not getting enough sleep and their job performance is suffering. Many of them have made serious errors or experienced "near misses" due to sleepiness. As a society, we can't afford to let this situation continue. These people are vital to our economy and to the safety of our families. We need to help them get enough sleep.
Here are some details from the survey:
Job performance -- About a fourth of train operators (26%) and pilots (23%) say sleepiness affects their job performance at least once a week, compared to 17% of non-transportation workers.
Safety -- One in five pilots (20%) admit that they have made a serious error and one in six train operators (18%) and truck drivers (14%) say that they have had a “near miss” due to sleepiness.
Sleepiness has also played a role in car accidents commuting to and from work.
Train operators and pilots have the worst sleep and the most problems -- Most train operators (57%) and half of pilots (50%) rarely or never get a good night’s sleep on work nights, compared to 44% of truckers and 42% of non-transportation workers. Pilots and train operators are also much more likely than non-transportation workers to have been involved in a car accident due to sleepiness while commuting.
Work schedules are a problem -- Almost one-half of train operators (44%) and more than one-third of pilots (37%) say their work schedules don't let them get enough sleep, compared to about one-fourth of non-transportation workers and truck drivers and one-fifth of bus, taxi and limo drivers. Only 6% of pilots and 47% of train operators say they work the same work schedule each day, compared to 76% of non-transportation workers.
Long commutes also hurt -- Pilots and train operators have the highest average commute times: 45.5 minutes and 31 minutes, respectively, compared to a 23.8-minute average for non-transportation workers. Other research has consistently found that longer commute times have been associated with shorter individual sleep times.
What can be done to improve safety, both for transportation workers and for the general public?
The schedules of transportation workers are extremely irregular, perhaps more than any other profession. Employers need to find ways to create work/rest schedules that provide more consistent schedules and make it easier to for their employees to get good quality, restorative sleep.
From previous research, we know some things about adjusting schedules to promote healthy sleep. But more research is needed. Are there small schedule changes that can make a big difference in alertness? Are there some transportation workers that have figured out on their own how to get better sleep, and can we learn from them? Are some ways of napping better than others?
We really need to know these things. And when we find the answers, there may be simple things than can make a big difference in safety.
You can visit the National Sleep Foundation for a complete summary of findings and examples of crashes where fatigue was a contributing factor.
