Sleep apnea is defined by the FMCSA as a condition where, during sleep, a narrowing or closure of the upper airway causes repeated sleep disturbances leading to poor sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness. In recent studies, the number of drivers with the symptoms of sleep apnea is shown to be increasing. In the trucking industry, sleep in a very important factor to the safety of truck drivers and those around them.
Sleep apnea in truck drivers is very dangerous. Because a truck driver is on the road so often, they need to be alert. If they are not, they are risking their lives and the lives of others. In fact, the FMCSA has completed various research projects centered on the slogan that "staying awake means staying alive".
The FMCSA recognizes the stress of a truck driving job and how that stress can affect your ability to sleep through the night, resulting in dangerous levels of drowsiness during the day. There are many factors that can lead to sleep apnea in truck drivers and the FMCSA is concerned with the rising numbers of drivers with the condition. In one study funded by the FMCSA, it was stated that the Divided Attention Driving Task found that individuals with sleep apnea perform, on average, as poorly as individuals whose levels of blood alcohol concentration exceed the legal limit.
Excessive sleepiness in no joke and the FMCSA is dedicated to assisting commercial drivers in any way possible to find solutions to sleep apnea. In fact, the FMCSA has dedicated a webpage on the U.S. Department of Transportation website to sleep apnea. On this website, past studies and current methods for helping you sleep apnea are available.
The website also has a section where symptoms of sleep apnea are discussed. One symptom that surprised a few truck drivers was snoring. In a study found on the website it was stated that an excessive level of snoring is nothing to laugh about, but can instead be interrupting your sleep as well as the sleep of those around you. In fact, if your snoring levels are high enough you could have a serious form of sleep apnea called obstructive sleep apnea.
If you are thinking "I know I snore, but I don’t wake myself up," don’t be too sure. With sleep apnea, you are not always aware of the many times you wake during the night. If you find that you are frequently tired during the day, you might be waking up during the night.
Sleep apnea is a very real problem and can potentially be very dangerous. With your truck driving job, you need to be alert, and excessive drowsiness is not acceptable. If you have even the smallest inkling you may have sleep apnea, visit the FMCSA’s webpage on sleep apnea at;
There are also tests available to check your likeliness of having sleep apnea. For the drivers of C.R. England, there are clinics and services available to assist their drivers with the problems of sleep apnea and to help them overcome it.
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