
In the last two years the number of accidents that are caused by the excessive daytime sleepiness have risen, and this is a very alarming issue. At the same time the number of accidents that are caused by alcohol or drug used have declined. Due to the sleepiness, especially experienced by shift workers that are doing night shifts or extended shifts, the number of industrial accidents is also on a rise.
Another study confirmed, that because of the luck of concentration and very low level of alertness and reduced performance, people that are doing shift work are at a greater risk of being involved in an accident.
These people are also at risk of developing heart problems, obesity, diabetes, because of the lifestyle they have.
The number of incidents caused by sleepiness in the recent times has increased, at the same time the number of of accidents related to drugs and alcohol has actually decreased. Also there has been an increase in a number of industrial accidents, because people do night shifts more and more often.
The research has shown that people who do night shifts often, find it hard to fall asleep, their performance is usually lower, and they find it difficult to stay alert and focused. Also, they have a higher accident rate.
The most important issue is health in general. People doing shift work are at risk of developing certain diseases, such as heart problems, sleep disorders and diabetes.
This article provides an overview of the daytime symptoms associated with the most common sleep disorders, namely insomnia, restless legs syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and shift wake-sleep disorder.
Psychological and social dysfunction resulting from these sleep disturbances are explained and discussed in detail. Health-related quality of life is a concept that reflects the changes in diverse aspects of subjective wellbeing of the patients due to an illness.
Therefore, studies reporting quality-of-life issues associated with the aforementioned sleep disorders will also be presented. Finally, we review the limited data regarding the effects of treatment on quality-of-life outcomes.
Many patients with sleep disorders seek medical attention because of daytime symptoms or negative consequences of sleep disruption, which suggests that the night-time symptoms may be less bothersome than the daytime consequences of sleep problems.
