Sleep Quality of Heavy Vehicles’ Professional Drivers: An Analysis Based on Self-Perceived Feedback

Sleep is a crucial biological need for all individuals, being reparative on a physical and mental level. Driving heavy vehicles is a task that requires constant attention and vigilance, and sleep deprivation leads to behavioral and physiological changes that can develop sleep disorders which can put lives at risk.

The main objectives of this study are to describe and evaluate sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness, circadian preference, and risk of suffering from obstructive sleep apnea in a population of Portuguese professional drivers.

To fulfill the objectives, 43 Portuguese professional drivers, between 23 and 63 years old, answered validated questionnaires: Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Morningness–Eveningness, Stop-Bang Questionnaire, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.

Results indicated that older drivers tend to experience higher daytime sleepiness (11 ± 3.4; p = 0.002) and obstructive sleep apnea risk (4.5 ± 1.5; p = 0.03). Regarding sleep quality, the majority of drivers were classified with poor sleep quality (74.4%). It was possible to infer statistical differences between groups based on body mass index (p = 0.037), the type of route (p = 0.01), and physical activity (p = 0.005).

Drivers have an indifferent circadian preference and small-course drivers have a worse sleep health perception. Therefore, it is essential to implement prevention programs, promoting the basic rules for better sleep quality as well as identifying sleep disorders to minimize possible road accidents.