Beware - Sleep Study

Nows the perfect time for the drivers to stand up and say NO

 

You don't have to be obese to have sleep apnea. Yes, most severely obese people get sleep apnea because of all the extra fat in their neck area. But there are athletes that need cpap because of all the big muscles in their neck which impedes on their airway. Those examples are known as obstructive sleep apnea, something is obstructing the airway.

There's also central sleep apnea where the brain isn't sending out adequate signals telling the person to breath correctly during sleep.

There are cases where people have both types of sleep apnea.

And also, people that have smoked many years and have damaged their lungs need that extra "push" of air from cpap or bipap to get adequate breaths during sleep.

 

Drivers will never stand up, and that's the problem with the trucking industry. Drivers could shut this whole country down and bring it to it's knees, but this will result in chaos and risk a catastrophe. Government regulations will make this industry so unappealing to the average person that within 20yrs. you will not see a white or black truck driver. I mean no disrespect, but foreigners will be all that you will see behind the wheel. Trucking companies are crying that they cannot find good drivers, but the facts are that they don't want to pay good drivers. They would rather keep on cycling low paid drivers through their doors. Think of the millions of dollars that a company saves by replacing 42.CPM drivers with 30. CPM newbies. I wouldn't doubt if the owners of these trucking companies were part owners or shareholders in the CPAP manufacturers. The CEO'S more than likely play golf together. Just another way for companies to get in the drivers pocket!

 

Did that to me when I was there. Was even put oos by them 3 days for non-compliance for following the guidelines of company who did test. That was the exact day after coming back out of the shop. Was in shop for a week in TX. Get load to KC. On way up there was told to drop load at KC because I was oos.

As for test about 20 wires and electrodes attached. They videoed and audioed u sleeping. If u had to pee they had to come in and unhook you. Paid 900 for the macine

 

My friend is 200 pounds 6'1. Professional athlete and he has it.

Crete seeks out big people though they say if bmi is certain number or neck size is bigger than 18.5 automatically have to get it. Others in my orientation class didnt

 

Crete is just protecting the itself.
Its going to become standard procedure
before long.

 

Yeah, Truckduo is talking about me... I honestly feel violated. I haven't experienced the company much yet, but I'm stuck here now as I can't afford to leave. Maybe things will improve, but I really want to warn other drivers:
IF YOU HAVE A BMI OVER 34(?)%, YOU WILL BE GIVEN A SLEEP STUDY, AND YOU WILL FAIL

Has anyone else here dealt with Sleep Pointe before? That's the name of the company that gave the sleep study. After I talk to a real doctor, I'm going to look into the authenticity of this company. I'll detail what happened to me for those who are interested.

You get a hotel room for the night, sweet! Your bed has dozens of wires and a cart o machines next to it, Boo! Cute nurse (possibly intentional to try and prevent violent outbursts, because I was close to one in the morning) comes in to hook me up to the machines, ton of sticky stuff gooped onto my head and in hair. I was told that I could turn onto my side, but with all the wires attached to me, I was afraid to move at all. I don't have trouble sleeping, so I wasn't worried about this test at all. I was all smiles and conversation while I was getting hooked up. I could afford to sleep on my back, I was exhausted anyway, as I was the last of the group to get hooked up and I made sure I went into this tired because I knew how uncomfortable it was going to be.
Less than 2 hours into the test, I'm woken up by the cute nurse asking me what kind of mask I want. I was sleeping soundly, and I'd been awake about 4 seconds, I had no idea what was going on. I tell em put the full face one on so I could just get back to sleep. In the morning, she made it seem like she had saved my life by getting that mask on as soon as she did, less than 2 hours into the testing. So, I get all the paperwork that I know I need to agree to in order to keep my job. She "suggests" I get the machine. I laugh and tell her I wish it was a choice... I have to sit around my terminal all day afterward to wait until the next day to talk to a "doctor". 8AM the next morning I go in for a VIDEO F$*$ING conference with some quack in Baltimore. I guess it's a good thing, because when most people meet the guy that puts their legs behind their ears and screws them while they're asleep, they get violent... At this point, I'm enraged. I'm not wasting smiles on anyone. I've been tricked and been used for profit, stuck with this shackle for my face. I'm also told by the nurse who set up the video chat, who has a permanent office in my companies terminal, explains to me what I need to do to stay "compliant"... My CPAP has a wireless router on it. However, I still need to check in with this Sleep pointe company on their schedule that they set for the forseeable future. For christ sake, enough is enough, they just keep kicking me while I'm down...

After that I have to fill out paperwork for my DOT Physical recertification. When the "Safety" lady points out that I need to check yes to having an Illness and point out "my Sleep Apnea", it felt like a punch to the gut that made me sick. Also another violent surge in anger. So, I have to kill the rest of the morning and early afternoon doing my DOT physical, again. First nurse that I mentioned what happened to me to said that he never heard of a Crete driver passing this Sleep Study test.

The harsh reality of this thing strapped to my face every ###### night sunk in quickly. I have to wear it every night. Don't misinterpret that as every night in the truck. EVERY NIGHT. Including hometime. I've been seeing red for 3 days straight. I feel like I've been taken for a fool, and I can't lay down like that. People in the group that never had their oxygen levels drop below 90% in their tests were forced to buy and use CPAP machines. THERE IS NO PASSING SLEEP POINTES SLEEP STUDY. I don't believe this company is legitimate. I think they've realized that they have the perfect customer base. People that can't say no. Hell, their CPAPs all come ready with a 12 volt adapter right in the box! They're ready to mask us all up.

I don't think this should even be legal. I've been forced to accept this device or lose my job, without a second opinion. My sleep study portion without the mask was less than 2 hours! How is that viable to stick me with this thing! A private, for profit organization that can force people to buy a product. How isn't this being regulated, because no part of this process made me feel like I had rights as an American citizen. That's one of the things that's really hurt and made me look at things since starting my driving career about 8 months ago. I am no longer a "real" American Citizen. Besides the fact that most people just look on us with disdain, we've been regulated to the point where our actions at home effect our job. Who stands up for us? The people that our supposed to protect us are all out for their own profit. If this happened to real people, instead of drivers, most of what we have to put up with, these changes wouldn't last a month. Idling policies, physical requirements, sleep monitoring, bunch of other stuff I don't have time for. The government is ignoring that we have God given rights.

Once my insurance kicks in, I'm going to see a real doctor, see what he has to say about this. I plan to look into this Sleep Pointe company though. I honestly believe that they are purposefully and knowingly screwing people over for profit. For the record, I've noticed no difference in my 3 days of using this mask. Well, I do wake up angry and looking like Banes fat son...

I don't know about other companies sleep tests, but don't be as naive as I was. If you don't want a CPAP machine, I wouldn't suggest allowing yourself to be tested by anyone. I used to think the guys that worried about being tested by certain companies were just being stubborn, and you might too. But when you realize what this is really like, and to have the choice of being stuck with this machine every single night or to pretty much throw your CDL out the window, your opinion changes.

 

I dealt with them. They are a legitimate company. I was in same boat. Couldn't afford to leave. I wouldn't say I was as extreme as u. I still felt like an American...but I didn't like machine at first but now I love it. It has helped so much. Don't work for Crete anymore but still use it. Simply just feel better when I wake up. That is me though. Be aware that Crete and sleep pointe have two different standards. Both say 70% compliant. But SP says as long as you wear for any 6 hours in a 24 time frame, don't have to be sleeping you are compliant. Crete says must be 6 consecutive hours asleep. Which is bs because we all know we can't get 6 consecutive a night especially with customers knocking to back into doors etc. Make sure u follow cretes I didn't and got shut down for 3 days. Its not the end of the world to complain that much but it does suck.