Commercial Airline Pilots and Sleep Apnea

It was reported last month that the National Transportation Safety Board is recommending that the FAA develop and implement guidelines for identifying and treating pilots at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). An incident in February of last year where two pilots fell asleep at the controls of a plane while in the cruise phase of flight has spurred awareness of the dangers of undiagnosed and untreated OSA. Not only was the captain’s undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea a major factor in the incident, but so were the flight crew’s recent work schedules, which included several consecutive days of early-morning start times. Think about this for a moment. The implication of undiagnosed OSA in pilots who at any given time, have the lives of hundreds of passengers in their hands, literally, is tremendous – and concerning. But you don't have to be a commercial pilot to put people at risk by falling asleep at the wheel. Each and every driver with undiagnosed sleep apnea is placing his own life and the lives of everyone on the road with him at risk. The responsibility of a person that is prone to fall asleep at the wheel is no different that the responsibility of a drunk driver, for example. Of course, both can be avoided but taking responsibility. Everyone knows not to drive drunk, some still do it. Not everyone knows not to drive tired. And the consequences are the same. Excessive daytime sleepiness, feeling drowsy or falling asleep during a movie or after a meal can all be warning signs for OSA. It’s important to be aware of how you feel. It's not uncommon for people to consider “something they’ve always had or done” as being normal, when really it may just be an indication of a chronic problem. Being a sleepy person is not funny, it's not about being lazy. It may indicate a serious condition, but one that can be treated – and the benefits are immense.