Originally Posted by
JohnBurke
So...get a leg blown off on a mine, and it's 40% disabled.
Not getting a good night's sleep...50%.
Nice racket.
If someone is truly diagnosed with sleep apnea, medical studies prove that it’s the equivalent of waking up every 30 seconds. That’s a fact.
Have you ever stayed up all night on zero sleep and then tried to perform a cognitive heavy task? I’m sure you have and you probably didn’t do so well. You wouldn’t know though because you’re not aware.
Medical researchers have linked the effects of fatigue to the effects of hypoxia. They’re proven to be identical. Due to this, I would agree that sleep apnea is definitely a serious disability.
You can always continue on in a somewhat ‘normal’ life with missing limbs. However, if you’re constantly in a ‘drunken’ state due to sleep apnea, not so much.
To the OP, talk to your AME. The only thing the FAA cares about is successful continued treatment.