Ever Doze off at a Traffic Light? You May have a Sleep Disorder.

With OSA, your breathing stops or gets very shallow due to a lack of adequate airflow while you are sleeping. If not treated, sleep apnea can lead to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, memory problems, weight gain…and a significantly increased risk of auto accidents.

Sleepiness causes drivers to have slower reaction times, impaired vision, lapses in judgment and delays in processing information, all of which are critical for safe driving. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that around 100,000 auto crashes annually involve drowsiness or fatigue, with an estimated 1,500 fatalities and 71,000 injuries². Fatigue-related crashes are known as the “silent killer” because they are often under-reported: there is no Breathalyzer test for sleepiness and police officers often can’t tell if a crash was caused by drowsiness. However, since sleep disorders are so common and so under-diagnosed, getting tested and treated for these problems could result in fewer accidents and saved lives, not to mention improved energy and quality of life for those who suffer from sleep disorders.

Fortunately, diagnosis of sleep disorders is simple and effective treatment is available. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale is a useful measurement of daytime sleepiness that doctors use to initially evaluate patients for sleep disorders. One of the questions concerns how likely you are to fall asleep while stopped in traffic. The Aviisha Health and Wellness Institute offers a “Sleep Well Quiz” based on the Epworth Sleepiness scale, and it can help you determine if your sleep is healthy or if you might need to be tested for a sleep disorder.

"Sleep apnea and its risks should not be taken lightly," says Dr. Avi, Medical Director of The Aviisha Medical Wellness Institute. "Anyone who operates a car or other motor vehicle that may suffer from sleep apnea must be tested for safety and health reasons, as well as for their overall quality of life.”

If you have noticed any of the following warning signs for sleepiness while driving, you may be suffering from a sleep disorder and should get tested:

• Difficulty focusing, frequent blinking and heavy eyelids;
  
• Drifting from your lane, swerving, hitting rumble strips;
  
• Trouble remembering the last few miles driven;
  
• Missing exits or traffic signs;
  
• Yawning repeatedly.

1 http://www.sleepfoundation.org/category/article-type/press-release

2 http://www.drivers.com/article/680/