Coast Guard restricts sailors with sleeping disorders

Sailors with certain sleeping disorders are facing new restrictions from operating ships.

The Coast Guard proposed Tuesday new rules “disqualifying” merchant mariners with narcolepsy and other severe sleeping disorders from sailing.

“The proposed policy clarification specifies that narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia, and other hypersomnias of central origin, are medically disqualifying and generally not waiverable due to significant risk of sudden and unpredictable incapacitation of individuals who have these conditions,” the Coast Guard writes in the Federal Register.

The rules would only apply to merchant mariners, which are sailors that import and export goods by ship.

Merchant mariners are required to obtain sailing certification, but the Coast Guard will deny certification in cases where the sailor has narcolepsy.  

Narcolepsy is a sleeping disorder that causes daytime sleepiness, and sailors with this medical condition could endanger people on the ship, the agency noted.

Meanwhile, sailors with cardiomyopathy, diabetes mellitus, or obstructive sleep apnea would be required to show specific medical documentation indicating their condition will not affect how they operate a ship. 

The public has 90 days to comment.