More than 28% of truck drivers have sleep apnea, reports Truck News.
Those who have sleep apnea may not even be aware they stop breathing sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often, if a partner doesn’t realize this (loud snoring is often a sign), it goes undiagnosed. Because of the extended periods where one’s body stops breathing, it may mean the brain and rest of the body may not be getting enough oxygen, which can lead to high blood pressure, and increased chance of heart attack and stroke.
Those at risk for sleep apnea are males who are overweight and over the age of 40 – sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Truck drivers fit this description to a tee so it’s not that surprising that almost one in three suffer from the disorder.