Sleep apnea test question

I am sure every carrier has a different policy regarding sleep apnea, sleep testing and cpap machines.

 

Not sure about schools, but Prime Inc will make you do a sleep study

 

Roehl, makes you take the test if your body mass index and neck size are too 'high'. They pay for the tests and if you need a machine will then take it out of your paycheck.

 

only way to rule it out is with testing,

best for all who may be required (or even if just not sure) to get it done,

it is very serious business that no one wants to mess with,

a sleep deprived driver might as well be impaired

 

what's the (why?) connection?

 

Obesity is the biggest reason some suffer from sleep apnea....according to the experts

 

Personally, I think Roehl is just ahead of the curve here. When I took my DOT physical, the doc said he expected the BMI / neck size trigger to become fairly standard in the coming years, just as part of getting your medical card.

 

While there is no current regulation prompting doctors to demand a sleep apnea test for overweight drivers it is becoming pretty routine, especially within the Concentra network. God forbid you actually tell the doctor you snore or wake up during the night. This information will practically insure the doctor will demand a sleep study regardless of your size or weight. Of course companies are free to set their own standards when considering new applicants.
Once diagnosed with sleep apnea you may have to wait as long as 3 months to get your DOT physical certified. The doctor at the DOT clinic will require documentation of compliance from the Neurologist or sleep clinic that diagnosed the patient with sleep apnea.
Many drivers have difficulty adapting to wearing a face mask that constantly blows air into their nose/mouth. It takes time to get the correct air pressure setting for new cpap users. I know when I first wore a cpap mask the pressure was set too high. The best way I can describe the feeling is to stick your head out of a car window at around 60 mph and try to breathe normally. The rushing air makes it nearly impossible to get a normal breath.
After multiple adjustments to the pressure setting I was able to get used to wearing the mask. Now I routinely sleep for 6 to 8 hours per night, feel better rested during the day, and do not require a nap in the afternoon. Other issues that improved while using the cpap machine were my blood pressure went down, my energy level went up, and recurrent heartburn stopped completely.

 

It also has to do with the anatomy of your throat... something about the shape of it, also HBP is a factor.

Stevens will make you take the test and if a machine is needed, they will finance it weekly and their trucks are equipet with apu's and power inverters.