What truckers do to stay awake at the wheel
Summer is vacation time. And many, in the context of coronavirus restrictions and the closure of borders, stop at a road trip. However, in addition to comfort and mobility, a number of dangers await vacationers in cars. And one of them is sleep. The AvtoVzglyad portal figured out how to overcome it so as not to cause trouble.
Going on a road trip, many drivers prefer to leave their native lands still dark. Some try to leave early in the morning to be in time before traffic jams. Others leave at night, justifying this by the fact that it is easier for their passengers, especially children, to endure the road, and it is much more comfortable to ride in the cool night. And partly and with those, and with others it is possible to agree.
However, not everyone easily tolerates such “early” departures well. After some time, the monotony of the road, the comfort of the car's suspension, the twilight and silence in the cabin do their job - both of them begin to fall asleep. And this is a great danger, including for other road users. The phase of REM sleep comes on imperceptibly, and lasts for a few seconds. However, in these seconds, a car moving at high speed manages to travel more than one hundred meters. And for some, these meters are the last in life. But is there a way to get rid of drowsiness?
Alas, there are not so many ways to stay awake when the body requires sleep, and all of them, as they say, are from the evil one. Yes, you can drink coffee. However, its effect is not long lasting. And after the expiration of a serving of caffeine, you want to sleep even more. So you drink one cup after another to keep your blood levels of the invigorating caffeine high and harm your body. Or drink energy drinks, whose "poison" is worse than coffee. If common sense has prevailed over you, and you do not consider “invigorating drinks” as a means of combating sleep, but you need to drive, you can borrow a favorite way of staying awake at night from truckers. A bag of seeds and an hour or two of chewing reflexes will drive sleep away.
However, the method with seeds also has a downside. Working with jaws and one hand, you are distracted from taxiing. And if a dangerous situation suddenly arises ahead, and you have seeds in your hands instead of a steering wheel and a cup for chaff between your knees, then the case is a pipe. At first, you will spend precious fractions of seconds grabbing the steering wheel with your other hand. At the same time, open your knees to brake, and drop the glass of debris right into the area of the pedal assembly. And then, as luck would have it. In general, the same way.
In addition, even working with your jaws, your body, under the influence of a long-term habit of sleeping at night, will fight your desire to go. And even if the dream can be driven away, the state in the form of inhibited reactions, dulled vigilance and the inability of the brain to react with lightning speed to the rapid development of events on the road will still accompany you until you stop and sleep.
The best thing you can do for your body before the night of driving is to get enough sleep. And even if your health is perfect, and you think that you can drive a thousand or even two kilometers at a time, do not lose your head - you should not strain yourself and drive for more than four and a half hours. Stop more often to warm up and rest - for those 15-45 minutes that you spend on recuperating, the sea and mountains will not get further from you.
And if you feel sleepy no matter what, then you need to stop and take a nap. Even 15-30 minutes of sleep can relieve fatigue and give new strength to the body. Tested by experienced drivers, and more than once.
