015 EVALUATION OF THE QUALITY OF SLEEP AND CHRONOTYPE OF BRAZILIAN ATHLETES: PARALYMPIC GAMES IN BEIJING 2008

Abstract

s of 3rd International Congress of the Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM) / Sleep Medicine 10, Suppl. 2 (2009) S1–S83 S5 Support: Research supported by AFIP and FAPESP (CEPID #98/14303-3 to S.T. and #07/56620-6 to A.S.). Sergio Tufik and Marco Tulio de Mello are recipients of fellowships from CNPq. Committee Paralympic Brazilian, FADA UNIFESP, CEPE. 016 SLEEP DISTURBANCES AND FATIGUE IN BRAZILIAN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS V.R. Ribas, C.A.V. de Almeida, M.J.P.C. Alves, R. Manhaes de Castro. Universidade Federal de Pernambuco Introduction: Air traffic controllers (ATC) give pilots important instructions needed to avoid other airplanes, obstacles and bad weather. They require cognitive tools and sufficient rest in order to perform their activities safely. Objective: To evaluate stressful work conditions, sleep disturbances and circadian typology of sleep-wake behavior in ATC. Methods: Thirty male ATC, aged 32.5±7.7 years with 11±8 years of shiftwork experience, were studied. Participants completed self-administered questionnaires that included questions about work, sleeping habits and patterns and were evaluated using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESE). Results: Ninety-three per cent (28/30) of ATC were dissatisfiedwith the timing of their work schedules. Factors contributing to dissatisfaction included: fatigue 97%, workload 93%, stress 90%, night work 87%, tiredness 83%, concentration difficulty 70% and sleepiness 67%. Sixty-three percent of ATC had an ESE score > 10. Of ATC on morning shifts, 27% reported sleep onset difficulty the previous night, 37% fragmented sleep and 73% early awakening. Eighty percent reported drowsiness on awakening and 63% reported feeling tired. Eighty-three percent experienced sleepiness, 53% fatigue and 40% low concentration at work. Of ATC on the night shift, 50% reported difficulty with sleep onset, 80% drowsiness on awakening, 77% tired, 90% sleepiness, 97% tiredness, 77% fatigue and 83% low concentration at work. Sleepiness, fatigue and low performance were more frequent during low traffic load. The most frequent sleep disturbances reported were periodic leg movement during sleep 50%, nightmares 43%, sleep talking 43%, sleep apnea 30%, restless leg syndrome 23%, sleep paralysis 23%, confused awakening 17%, sleep walking 7% and night terrors 7%. Fifty-seven percent reported anxiety, 40% irritability and 3% depression. Inadequate sleep hygiene habits were common among ATC: 87% did not use sunglasses in the morning after the night shift and 93% drove their car themselves after the shift night. Only 73%went home to sleep after the night shift and 30% used stimulants to increase vigilance. Forty-seven percent drank coffee and 23% drank Coke before going to sleep. Only 40% had regular physical exercise routines. Conclusion: Timing of the work schedule, morning and night shifts, workload, stress, tiredness, fatigue, sleepiness and low concentration are factors contributing to dissatisfaction atwork. ATC exhibited disturbed sleep, sleepiness and fatigue that can be attributed to shift work and to circadian disruption resulting from night and morning shifts, as well as to sleep deprivation, sleep disturbances and inadequate sleep hygiene. 017 EVALUATION OF SLEEPINESS IN BRAZILIAN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS V.R. Ribas, C.A.V. de Almeida, A.L.M. Martins. Universidade Federal de