Are American Workers Asleep at the Desk and at the Wheel?

We have a global, 24-hour society. Fortunately, the use of shift work makes it possible for our nation’s businesses to remain competitive without major increases in infrastructure. You might say that American business has become dependent on shift workers. The bad news may be that these same workers could be costing U.S. employers over $18 billion dollars in lost productivity – the cost of poor performance due to sleep loss.

Sleepiness and fatigue in the workplace can lead to poor concentration, absenteeism, accidents, errors, injuries and fatalities. The issue is more alarming because many of our shift workers are in the public safety professions of firefighting, law enforcement, emergency medical services and security, public transportation and aviation.

Consider that shift workers are 30-50% more likely than day workers in the same industry to develop heart disease. It is postulated that irregular sleep patterns over time can cause sleep disorders the can contribute to, or worsen, hypertension and cardiovascular complications. (AMJ Hypertens, 1999 Jan) Approximately 12% of shift workers have obstructive sleep apnea, as compared to 5% in the general population (National Sleep Foundation).

According to the National Sleep Foundation, shift workers and commercial drivers could also be in a high risk category for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Narcolepsy or Insomnia. These statistics are alarming:

• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drowsy drivers contribute to approximately 100,000 crashes each year.
• People with untreated sleep apnea are two to three times more likely than the general population to have an automobile accident (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute)
• Research has indicated that Obstructive Sleep Apnea is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, cardiac death and stroke.

Addressing sleep-related issues up-front requires some investment for education and testing but the bottom line is that you can improve productivity and decrease medical costs. Sleep disorders, once diagnosed, are easily treated. We recommend that employers include questions about sleep in their post-offer medical evaluations and consider formal sleep evaluations as part of their post-offer and yearly physicals for shift or public safety workers.

For more information, visit our Sleep Center Factsheet, where you can download a referral form or view an informational video. You may also contact Christina McCarthy, Sleep Center Liaison, at 202-877-1977 or via email: Christina.J.McCarthy@medstar.net