Sleep habits of Long Island rail road commuters

Study Objectives: We addressed the issue of how commuting affects sleep hab its, and its association with general health and potential sleep disorders in individuals on a large, U.S. commuter rail system. Design: Postage-paid mail back questionnaires were distributed to commuters over 6 consecutive weekdays. The questionnaire incorporated previously val idated questions regarding sleep habits. Setting: Questionnaires were dispensed at 15 different rail stations. Parti cipants: 21,000 commuters accepted the questionnaire. Measurements and results: Data was analyzed by total group and length of co mmute. A total of 4715 (22%) questionnaires were returned. Over 50% of the sample reported difficulty with sleep and wakefulness while only 3% sought professional help. Sleep apnea was suspected in 4.2% of male and 1% of fema le respondents and was associated with increased reports of excessive dayti me sleepiness, and history of hypertension, diabetes and obesity. Total noc turnal sleep time was significantly less in those subjects with long commut es. Seventy percent of respondents reported napping during the commute. Len gth of commute was associated with hypertension. Conclusion: Commuting long distances negatively impacts one's ability to ca pture adequate sleep. Data suggests that there may be significant numbers o f respondents with unrecognized sleep disorders which further impact on gen eral health.