Sleep Problems In Firefighters Tied To Accident Risk, Health Problems

The New York Times (11/14, Bakalar) “Well” blog reports that according to a study published Nov. 13 in the Journal of Critical Sleep Medicine, “37 percent of” 7,000 firefighters tested “screened positive for at least one sleep disorder, most for obstructive sleep apnea.” After controlling for confounding factors, investigators “found that compared with sound sleepers, those with a sleep disorder were about twice as likely to have a motor vehicle crash, to nod off while driving, and to have cardiovascular disease or diabetes.” In addition, the firefighters faced a threefold higher risk of having anxiety and depression.

Related Links:

— “Firefighter Accidents Are Linked to Sleep Problems,” Nicholas Bakalar, New York Times, November 13, 2014.

Posted in In The News.