Briefing Leaflet

Sleep Apnea Information for Pilots

Dec 11, 2019

Abstract

The prevalence of sleep apnea in adults is estimated to be 7%. In contrast, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records instances of sleep apnea in Class I medical certified pilots as only 0.5%. Sleep apnea seems to be badly under diagnosed within the pilot community. As sleep apnea results in daytime sleepiness, when left undiagnosed it can pose a significant safety risk in aviation.