1 in 4 Pilots Sleepy on the Job March 3, 2012 -- Feeling sleepy at work may be a minor inconvenience for most people. But a new poll suggests it’s a major issue for transportation workers whose job it is to get people from place to place safely.

Researchers sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation found that one in four pilots and train operators say they suffer from sleepiness that affects their job performance at least once a week.

That sleepiness on the job has caused a serious safety error for one in five pilots and a “near miss” for one in six train operators and truck drivers.

“The margin of error in these professions is extremely small," David Cloud, CEO of the National Sleep Foundation, says in a news release. “Transportation professionals need to manage sleep to perform at their best.”

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