Evaluation of sleep disorders in flight crew and ground staff worker in Iran private flight airline

Abstract

Introduction Sleep disorders in pilots due to its impact on flight safety, flight crew and passenger health are important. This study evaluates the frequency of sleep disorders in pilots by standard questionnaires and compares it with ground staff. Materials and methods This was a cross-sectional study on flight crew and other workers of a private flight airline. The cases were selected randomly. All participants were asked to fill 2 standard questionnaires: ISI (Insomnia Severity Index) and ESS (Epworth Sleepiness Scale). Excessive daytime sleepiness and insomnia were considered by ESS > 10 and ISI > 8, respectively. Results The frequency of insomnia and sleepiness in flight crew was 66% and 24%, respectively compared to the 60% and 27% in other workers, respectively. Conclusion It is proved in this study that excessive day time sleepiness has high frequency in pilots and also insomnia is the main complication in this group. Acknowledgements Staff of baharloo sleep clinic ans staff of iranian airline.