Did you know that over 800,000 Canadians over the age of 18 have been diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea? Recent studies show a strong correlation between sleep apnea related fatigue and vehicle crashes.
Do you know if you have sleep apnea?
While driving Your Lane do you find yourself fighting sleepiness? Do you wake up with headaches, sore throats, or unable to concentrate? Do you have memory lose, feel irritable or depressed? These are all common symptoms of sleep apnea and we recommend visiting your physician asap.
Sleep apnea pauses your breathing when you sleep and these interruptions disturb your natural sleeping rhythm. This limits the amount of time you spend in the restorative sleep stage, and its this stage that you need to be energetic, mentally sharp, and productive for the next day. This is a chronic sleep deprivation that results in poor concentration, daytime sleepiness and slower reflexes. Over time it can lead to serious health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, weight gain, stroke.
Currently there is no reliable scientific research to demonstrate the scope of the problem sleep apnea has in the Canadian trucking industry. However, the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) and OSA Canada, are launching a pilot project across Canada to screen, test and diagnose drivers if they suffer from Sleep Apnea. After the diagnosis, those that suffer from this will be trained on the use of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure equipment. The OSA is also offering, for a small monthly fee, monitoring of the CPAP equipment usage to ensure driver compliance. The program was developed with Precision Pulmonary Diagnostics. They are an American based company that have screened over 40,000 professional drivers for fleets and continuously deliver full service sleep apnea solutions that are driver-focused.
In addition to CTA and OSA Canada, , researchers are seeking fleets to participate in the first ever study on sleep apnea in the Canadian trucking industry. The study – pioneered by the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, together with BresoTec – is the first of its kind in Canada and aims to resolve the problem with research surrounding sleep apnea from a Canadian standpoint.
Driving with TransX is a family affair, after all it’s Your Life and Your Lane. We support work-life balance and will work with you to maximize Your Life and Your Lane. Interested in joining us, connect today with a recruiter within your area.
