sleep apnea/overweight

Where do you work that did not care ? If you don't mind thanks !

 

Thats the way it should be if you answer no to all the questions you don't have it .this is a scam !! a person knows if they have a problem ,I see drivers say they did not know really ? Say now they get a good night sleep ..i say it is all in there head.!!

 

Thanks Spyder, this is true. Some people, including myself, have severe apnea whether they are in shape or big. I finally succumbed to a study in 2008 after 20 years of rommates, friends, former wife etc telling me I sound like a freight train even thru walls and that I stopped breathing frequently. My incident score was 72 interruptions per hour and I never got beyond level 2 sleep. First 5 hours with the machine on in the study I was at 3 incidents overall and in deep REM sleep as normal. I know need about 6 hours per nite and always feel great when I get up for work. I do happen to be bigger now but was diagnosed at my good personal weight.
No, its not sexy or cool for your wife or significant other, but it is about survival and less stress on your heart. If companies are getting people tested just because they are overweight, that is a different issue altogether, but if they want to pay for it, so be it.

 

Couldn't let this post go by without replying.

28 years experience driving does not make you an expert in the field of Sleep Apnea. You've got a right to your opinion, no matter how wrong it is.

I've been a faithful CPAP user for 5 1/2 years. I had Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea, probably for over 20 years. Woke up choking and gagging frequently. No more. It has truly been a Godsend for me.

However, where a lot of drivers lose any objectivity on the issue is from the negative experiences of other drivers. For example, many companies are conducting Sleep Apnea screenings not out of safety concerns, but rather only in the interest of making an extra buck. Their "technicians" will show you results of your study, then tell you something akin to "Well, you're on the 'do not need' side of the line, but it's really close, so we're making you get a machine anyway' ". This is where any and all respect for the process is lost, and I don't blame any driver for considering such a request to be completely unacceptable.

Sleep apnea is real. It's also more common than many would care to admit. So, to those who call it "junk science", "bogus", and "all in our heads", may I respectfully suggest you take time to speak with those with experience and objectivity.

You might learn something.

 

That being said Packard, I went to a sleep apnea specialist recommended by my Doctor, not a company approved study. I only listen to my Docs and trust them.

 

Hi. A couple questions: If your BMI is closer to 50... will they hire you? Can you explain the wellness course where you go for 13 weeks to lose weight? Is it something you can do on your own while driving? If a CPAP is needed and you tend to toss around a lot while sleeping, will your mask be pulled off? I sleep tummy to side to back and keep moving. Thanks

 

Yes.

You do it while you're on the road. Better food choices, log your meals to count calories. Moderate exercise outside of the truck to generate a 500 calorie deficit in your food consumption vs calories burned. The idea is to loose a pound a week.

No idea, sorry.

 

Thank you Ironpony. So glad you are awake too. I'm working nights right now.

 

I'm proof that they do. My BMI is over 60 (ADA territory).

I've been using CPAP since 1999, and I have not had a problem with that. Just make sure that your mask is properly adjusted. If my mask comes dislodged, I wake up pretty quickly.

One thing I did notice, though, was that I did a LOT less moving around in bed once I was using the machine. (Snoring stopped, too, much to the relief of my roommate.)

 

Carriers hire drivers qualified by the physician giving the DOT physician . The are no FMCSA requirements regarding neck size or BMI . It's the discretion of the doctor whether a sleep study should be required .