Drivers who open windows could have sleep apnoea

MOTORISTS who wind down car windows to help stay awake could have sleep apnoea and be at higher risk of crashing, a study has found.

Drivers who turn up the radio, chew gum, drink excessive tea or coffee and sing to themselves could be showing the warning signs of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), researchers said.

Experts found drivers who relied on a multiple of these techniques to prevent sleeping at the wheel were at increased risk of the condition, and more likely to be involved in a collision.

Up to one in five people suffer from OSA, the most common form of sleep apnoea, which causes throat muscles to relax during sleep and cuts air supply. Symptoms include loud snoring, gasping or snorting, stop-start breathing and disrupted sleep, which can lead to tiredness and concentration issues.

Researchers at St James’s University Hospital in Leeds questioned 119 people with yet to be treated OSA, and 105 people without the condition. They were asked about their sleep, tiredness while driving, history of incidents and strategies used to stay awake while driving.

They found almost a third of those with sleep apnoea frequently used three or more strategies to stay awake while driving. Those without the condition used none of them.

More than one in five (22.8 per cent) of those with OSA and using three techniques had been in an accident, compared with 2.4 per cent of those with OSA who used fewer strategies.

Dr Akshay Dwarakanath, a lead author at St James’s University Hospital, said: “Up to one fifth of collisions on the road may be caused by fatigue or sleepiness. There is good evidence to suggest that some OSA patients are at increased risk of collisions on the road.”

‘Up to one fifth of collisions on the road are caused by fatigue ... some patients are at increased risk’