‘Drowsy Driving’ Can Be A Symptom of Sleep Apnea

Real-life danger: “I must have fallen asleep at 65 mph”

Have you ever done any of these while driving?

• Yawning or blinking frequently
• Difficulty remembering the past few miles driven
• Missing your exit
• Drifting from your lane
• Hitting a rumble strip

These can be symptoms of ‘drowsy driving.’ Just ask Sylvie Hebert who is lucky to be alive after her car hit two guardrails and spun into a ditch in the median strip on a busy highway. After the mishap two years ago, she told State Troopers, “I must have fallen asleep at 65 miles per hour. They said I would have died if I wasn’t wearing my seat belt!” She was diagnosed with sleep apnea and her doctor prescribed CPAP therapy for a better night’s sleep. Some 20 million Americans have sleep apnea. It’s been called an epidemic, yet most sufferers have yet to be diagnosed! Like Sylvie, age 52, many think chronic fatigue is” a normal part of aging.”

Sylvie shared her adventure during a recent edition of ‘CPAP Chat,’ a free virtual support session, (www.CPAPchat.org) -- formerly ‘CPAP Talk –Live! – held on the first Wednesday of each month from 7-8 pm (ET). The town-hall-style forums attract sleep apnea patients, health care professionals and anyone else from across the country interested in the subject of sleep. Sessions are hosted by engineer/inventor Eric Cohen, co-founder of National Sleep Therapy. (www.nstherapy.com)

Among likely drowsy drivers are young males, night shift workers, commercial drivers and truckers, and people over 45, often overweight males. Untreated, sleep apnea can lead to hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses, and can result in workplace and highway accidents. Experts say if you're a driver or passenger and see any of the ‘drowsy driving,’ symptoms in the driver, you should take action. Cohen says, “Many lives could be at risk – including yours.”

The next CPAP Chat session is set for Wednesday, June 3 from 7 – 8 pm (ET). It’s free, anonymous and open to all. To join the chat: Just prior to the session, call 1-800.204.6655, enter access code 342-2187#.)