[Sleep disorders questionnaire for medical surveillance of workers].

According to Italian law, occupational physicians should assess the fitness of employees for night work before their assignment, at regular intervals, and in cases of health issues related to night work. Moreover, sleep disorders among occupational drivers and shift workers need to be systematically investigated. Sleepiness at the wheel is now identified as one of the main reasons behind fatal crashes and highway accidents caused by occupational drivers. A significant percentage of workers suffer from sleep-disordered breathing, narcolepsy, sleep deprivation, poor sleep hygiene and circadian rhythm diseases. However, all these problems are underestimated. A questionnaire aimed at carefully assessing sleep disorders during medical surveillance of workers was carried out by the Italian Association of Sleep Medicine. It includes twenty-three questions and helps highlight any substantial sleep problem which could require further investigation by sleep medicine specialists.