University Services
Making Sleep Work For You sm
University Services has created a system to screen for, confirm, and diagnose the presence of Excessive Sleepiness and OSA. We can even monitor compliance and the progress of your employees as they adapt to a better night’s sleep.
Together we can make sleep work for you.
Sleepiness, defined as the inability to remain fully alert or awake when necessary, degrades concentration and performance safety on the job.
Excessive Sleepiness
Excessive sleepiness is the inability to stay awake even after adequate night time sleep. People can fall asleep while sitting and reading, watching television, talking to someone and even while eating. Excessive sleepiness can have a negative impact on work as well as affect driving and reaction times.
The most common cause of excessive sleepiness is Obstructive Sleep Apnea, or OSA. Sleep apnea is characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. This lowers the oxygen level in the blood, and also disrupts sleep. Heart attacks, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke may result from OSA.
The Cost to your Business
According to a study by Sessani et. al, it was estimated that 800,000 American drivers were involved in motor vehicle collisions related to OSA; the costs of these crashes were approximately $15.9 billion. Furthermore, the authors estimated that treatment in these patients would have reduced these costs by $11.1 billion and saved 980 lives.1 People with OSA also have an increased rate of work related injuries and experience a reduction in work productivity.
1 Sessani A, Findley LJ, Kryger M, Goldlust E, George C, Davidson TM. “Reducing motor-vehicle collisions, costs, and fatalities by treating obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.” Sleep. May 2004. 1;27(3):369-70.