Maryland Law Requires People with Sleep Apnea Report It to Driving Authorities
nbcwashington.com
nbcwashington.com
Sounds like watches will be diagnosing us in the near future.
For a full diagnosis you really need a full sleep study though. A smartwatch is just an indication.
But apnea doesn't cause you to fall asleep or faint or something. It just makes your sleep really rotten because you stop breathing and keep waking up. So there's a higher chance of being tired.
However people without apnea can also be tired, like those with irregular shifts.
I will admit, I had some scary drive times where it's that feeling like you're half asleep and have to keep chugging caffeine. Then a minor panic attack because you're worried about dozing off so your heart kicks overtime even though your brain is tired (and lack of oxygen means it wasn't as strong either). I used to get so tired I would write random numbers spawning from my brain in this half sleep state instead of the numbers I was supposed to be writing sometimes it would veer into nonsense words. So I can understand why this is an issue, but...
Is it for people with untreated only? Is it just so insurance companies can charge people more for insurance even if you have a good record? I can see in a commercial driving situation the need for this, but this is a bit ridiculous.
When does the right to medical privacy veer into the right to engage in a public-facing danger and what level of risk justifies that? I imagine there's some studies cited in support to justify this (imo) overreach.
Yeah but it's important to realise everyone gets this when they don't get enough sleep. This is not really apnea related. The problem with apnea is that you never get any deep sleep. If it's treated well this is not the case.
In the UK you have to notify the appropriate authority (DVLA) if you have a whole host of conditions: