Untreated or inadequately treated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) results in job performance deficiencies such as excessive sleepiness, cognitive dysfunction, longer reaction times, irritability and reduced vitality. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, it is estimated that about 80 to 90 percent of U.S. adults with OSA remain undiagnosed. An individual working with or around dangerous machinery, who is impaired by OSA, presents a risk to himself or herself as well as to others.
OSA is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing (apneas) or instances of shallow breathing (hypopneas). Each pause in breathing can last from at least ten seconds to several minutes, and may occur five to 30 times or more an hour. Snoring is a common symptom of OSA but certainly everyone who snores does not necessarily have OSA and some individuals with OSA do not snore.