Umbian has begun a three-month pilot program for U-Sleep, which can monitor individual drivers who have been diagnosed with and are undergoing treatment for sleep apnea.


Prolonged untreated sleep apnea can lead to serious health issues including sleep deprivation, weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Various studies have shown that 1 in 3 commercial truck drivers have some degree of sleep apnea, while only a small portion are tested and treated.

Positive Airway Pressure devices are commonly used for the treatment of sleep apnea. The monitoring of PAP device usage encourages regular use and subsequently improves the effectiveness of therapy. Umbian has developed a compliance management solution, U-Sleep, which monitors PAP device usage, coaches drivers into therapy compliance and provides detailed reporting to both the driver and their employer.

U-Sleep allows companies to define specific rules that establish a therapy compliance standard for their organization. Throughout the pilot program, U-Sleep will monitor drivers who use a Philips Respironics PAP device that wirelessly shares usage data on a daily basis. U-Sleep sends real-time notifications via email, text message or voice call when the company specific compliance standard is achieved or violated.

Umbian has established a relationship with The Snore Shop, a Canadian sleep therapy clinic. The Snore Shop will provide screening, PAP devices and support to the drivers throughout the trial. Dr. Neil Smith, The Snore Shop co-owner, is a practicing otolaryngologist with an interest in sleep disordered breathing as it pertains to upper airway mechanics.