Sleep Habits and Sleep Disturbances in Industrial Workers in Israel: Main Findings and Some Characteristics of Workers Complaining of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness

Abstract

Detailed data about sleep habits, sleep complaints, life style, work, past and present health were obtained from 1,502 industrial workers. In agreement with previous studies, one-third of the workers reported having problems with sleep. A relatively large percentage of workers complained of excessive daytime somnolence (EDS), which was unrelated to sex, age, education, and area of origin. Compared to the total population, workers complaining EDS had signficantly more pre- and postsleep complaints, midsleep disturbing phenomena, and work accidents, and they were less satisfied with their work. They also had a significantly higher prevalence of asthma, high blood pressure, headaches, and arthritis and ulcers, and they consumed significantly more medications. Based on the cluster of pre- and postsleep complaints of workers complaining of EDS, and on preliminary results from the second phase of this project (which includes laboratory polysomnographic recordings), it is suggested that in most cases, various forms of breathing disorders in sleep are responsible for EDS.