Drivers’: Sleep disorders and bad health. An alarming statistic has emerged which details the large number of truck drivers suffering from sleep apnoea. Perhaps even more alarming is that many do not report the symptoms and so knowingly endanger the lives of other road users. Smh.com.au posted this about the study:

More than 40 per cent of commercial truck drivers have obstructive sleep apnoea, a sleeping disorder which roughly doubles the risk of crashing, an Australian study has found. Sixteen per cent of the 41 per cent are categorised as being severe cases, the study, published in the American journal Sleep, says. The study also shows that half of the truck drivers in the research were obese, half were smokers, and about 20 per cent had hypertension. Drivers are failing to report symptoms, such as snoring and sleepiness, as required during exams to obtain their licence, the reports says. “Our study shows licence requirements don’t identify drivers with sleep disorders. The system is inadequate,” said Ron Grunstein, professor of sleep medicine at the University of Sydney. The study involved 517 truck drivers who travelled at least 200 kilometres from their base and drove trucks greater than 12 tonnes tare weight, such as semi-trailers and road trains. Read more: https://www.smh.com.au/national/a-drivers-life-sleep-disorders-and-bad-health-20120401-1w6lt.html#ixzz24jOERQC8

People in the industry will be familiar with the ongoing battle between fatigue and truck drivers. Sleep apnoea is a more extreme cause of this fatigue which can be attributed with causing many truck crashes. Doctors warn that people with the sleep apnoea suffer frequent disruptions to their breathing during sleep, leaving them with headaches, drowsiness and sometimes depression during the day. Obstructive sleep apnoea is a well-established risk for truck accidents and truck drivers could lose their licence if their illness is perceived to be compromising safety while driving, which is why many of them hide the symptoms. But acknowledging the problem and symptoms is the first step in treatment. Truck drivers should look out for the following symptoms of sleep apnoea as early warning signs.

• daytime fatigue and sleepiness,
• insomnia during hours when you should be sleeping
• poor concentration and attention,
• memory problems,
• anxiety,
• irritability,
• headaches
• difficulty driving

A form of extreme sleep apnoea, Obstructive sleep apnoea can also be associated with long-term complications if not diagnosed and treated properly. That is why recognising the symptoms and seeking help is necessary. If not some of the complications that may result include:

• high blood pressure or hypertension,
• ischemic heart disease characterised by poor blood flow to the heart,
• heart attacks,
• heart failure,
• an irregular heart rate,
• pulmonary hypertension which is the elevation of blood pressure in blood vessels of the lungs
• even death from one of these consequences

An apnoea is a short period of time during which breathing stops or is markedly reduced. Basically when a person stops breathing for 10 seconds or more.  Sleep apnoea causes at least a 4% drop in oxygen in the blood which is a direct result of the reduction in the transfer of oxygen into the blood when breathing stops. Apnoea most commonly occurs during sleep, usually disrupting sleep due to inadequate breathing and poor oxygen levels in the blood. The person could wake up completely and suffer from insomnia or the person could remain in a shallow sleep and not feel rested in the morning. With such serious complications, obstructive sleep apnoea is too serious an issue to ignore.  It may be a risk factor for the development of other medical conditions as discussed above (High blood pressure (hypertension), heart failure, heart rhythm disturbances, atherosclerotic heart disease, pulmonary hypertension, insulin resistance). Any one of these complications could lead to death. Drivers who continue to drive regardless of this problem are placing their lives and the lives of innocent road users at risk.