Nearly 1 in 3 commercial truck drivers suffers from mild to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to a 2002 study sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the American Trucking Associations.
Sleep apnea is a treatable condition that causes repeated interruptions in breathing during sleep. Apnea disruptions can occur hundreds of times in just one night, and each one can last for over a minute.
Although you won't fully wake up when an apnea occurs, your brain is roused out of sleep so that can send a signal to correct the problem and you can breathe again. These disruptions can result in a substantial lack of the restorative sleep that your body needs to function properly when you're awake.
The effects of sleep apnea can cause excessive daytime drowsiness—compromising driving performance.
Sleep apnea and driving
Sleep apnea can impair:
Alertness
Judgment
Memory
Concentration
Vigilance
These effects lead to decreased driving ability and an increased chance of motor vehicle accidents. Sleep apnea can also cause moodiness, sleepiness, and headaches, all of which can further contribute to impaired driving ability.
New recommendations for drivers with OSA
A task force of medical experts developed new recommendations for screening and managing OSA among commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operators in September of 2006. They recommended stricter screening in addition to a shorter return-to-work time. Current Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) guidelines allow drivers being treated for sleep apnea to return to work 1 month after initial treatment. However, the recent recommendations reduce that time to 2 weeks, with a re-evaluation after 4 weeks. Also recommended is certifying a driver at lower risk for sleep apnea for a maximum of 3 months, and prohibiting drivers with more severe risk factors from returning to work until receiving a medical evaluation.
