Worried for my family

[krystle2010]

Please help! My boyfriend and I have been together 4 years and over time when he drives he will instantly fall asleep its like one minute he is fine the next he is dozing off. It was not a lot four years ago now its is every weekend he leaves to go to work which is a 45 minute drive it happens more on his way home which is 1:30am he has been on this shift for over a year I don't think his body isn't use to the hour. He says he thinks he has sleep apnea he tosses and turns some nights but is fine others. Some nights he will wake gasping for air like he just quit breathing. He crashed a truck at work the hood came through the winshield the airbag did not deploy he was not seriously injured however his face did hurt from the impact. We have a 10 month old baby and he watches her while I work I am very worried he may get in an accident with her I don't know what to do and I am woried for the both of them. How do I convince him he needs to be seen he thinks this is nothing and he says he is fine.  

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

His symptoms could be due to irregular sleep patterns, which could be because of his shift working. Ask him to follow good sleep hygiene measures like going to bed at the same time, waking up at the same time, avoidance of alcohol, smoking and caffeinated beverages. If his symptoms still persist he may need evaluation to rule out sleep disorders.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.

[jamiels11]

I know how your feeling.  It sounds like he needs to get a sleep study done, especially an M.L.S.T study, this will test for Narcolepsy.  Narcolepsy is when a person can be wide awake and talking one minute and then just fall asleep for no reason.  Does he only do this at night while he is driving home?? Or does this happen during the day as well??  If it happens a couple times during the day then I would say he should be checked for Narcolepsy.  Or it could be something like sleep apnea, which can be treated with a CPAP machine (which helps them breathe at night) therefore giving them more rest.  I understand how you feel, because I have a daughter that is 12 years old, and she was diagnosed last year with severe Narcolepsy and Cataplexy.  He should go see his doctor soon so he can tested for it.  Good luck, and I hope all goes well.

[skydnsr]

He is falling asleep behind the wheel and has already had an accident, and he says he is fine?  What would convince him he needed help?  Killing someone?  This is crazy.  He is a menace.  He needs help now, before some innocent person is killed or injured because of something is forseeable and preventable.  

On top of everything else, his job is probably hanging by a thread, since he has already wrecked one of their trucks.  If he has another work-related accident, they will probably let him go, or at least most employers would.  And that goes double, if he hurts someone in the next accident.

What's it gonna take?

[margypops]

Refuse to drive anywhere with him he is danger to himself and others on the road .I wouldnt leave your child with him if he drives her around in the car ..tell him to get checked out ...