Driving makes you sleepy due to a mix of monotony (boring roads), biological rhythms (circadian dips), physical factors (vibrations, heat, lack of fresh air, post-meal slump), mental exertion (focusing on the road), and underlying sleep debt, creating a perfect storm for fatigue, especially on long, familiar trips or at night.
Feeling sleepy while driving can happen for a few reasons, even if you're getting enough sleep. Sometimes it's the monotony of long drives, lack of mental stimulation, or even things like the car's temperature and vibration.
What to do to stay awake while driving
High levels of daytime drowsiness may make ADHD drivers fall asleep at the wheel. Distractibility increases the likelihood of checking devices, multitasking, and looking away from the road. Impulsivity causes drivers to overestimate their abilities and take unnecessary risks, which can lead to injury or death.
Sing or listen to the radio to keep alert. Avoid alcohol and medications that can cause drowsiness. Drive with an erect posture, with legs at a 45-degree angle. Pull over at a rest stop or other safe place and take a 20-minute nap (any longer will make you feel groggy).
Best 12 Remedies to Reduce Driving Fatigue
When trying to cope with fatigue, a simple rule is to remember The Five P's: Plan, Prioritise, Pace, Position and Permission. Plan and organise your time. Plan your day ahead with periods of rest and periods of activity.
The ADHD "2-Minute Rule" suggests doing any task taking under two minutes immediately to build momentum, but it often backfires by derailing focus due to weak working memory, time blindness, and transition difficulties in people with ADHD. A better approach is to write down these quick tasks on a separate "catch-all" list instead of interrupting your main work, then schedule specific times to review and tackle them, or use a slightly longer timeframe like a 5-minute rule to prevent getting lost down "rabbit holes".
The ADHD "30% Rule" is a guideline suggesting that executive functions (like self-regulation, planning, and emotional control) in people with ADHD develop about 30% slower than in neurotypical individuals, meaning a 10-year-old might function more like a 7-year-old in these areas, requiring adjusted expectations for maturity, task management, and behavior. It's a tool for caregivers and adults with ADHD to set realistic goals, not a strict scientific law, helping to reduce frustration by matching demands to the person's actual developmental level (executive age) rather than just their chronological age.
Drivers who fall asleep at the wheel are often young men. A person is likely to be sleepy due to his lifestyle or behavior choices. Young men are often more likely to make choices that cause them to be sleepy. These choices include staying up late, working long hours and drinking alcohol.
Consuming meals rich in protein and fiber before a drive can provide sustained energy and help prevent drowsiness. Limit high-sugar foods. Avoid foods and drinks high in sugar before and during your drive to prevent a sugar crash that could lead to fatigue.
Warning signs:
Amphetamine is a stimulant typically prescribed by doctors to treat sleep disorders such as narcolepsy and ADHD. Other prescription medications that truckers have used to keep alert on the road include modafinil and armodafinil, also used to treat narcolepsy.
Take a nap: Motorists who feel drowsy should pull over into a well-lit area and take a 20-minute nap. Make regular stops or switch drivers every 100 miles or 2 hours. Avoid drowsy driving times: Drivers are most likely to feel drowsy between 1-4 p.m. and 2-6 a.m. If possible, avoid driving during these times.
The five key signs of narcolepsy, often remembered by the acronym CHESS, are Cataplexy (sudden muscle weakness), Hallucinations (vivid dream-like images), Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS), Sleep Paralysis (inability to move when falling asleep or waking), and Sleep Disruption (fragmented nighttime sleep). These symptoms reflect a disruption between wakefulness and REM sleep, with elements of sleep intruding into the waking state.
By creating daily and weekly driving hour limits and collecting the data needed to check for compliance, the new fatigued driving prevention rules address the two types of fatigue that can affect driving – acute fatigue and chronic fatigue.
The top 3 core symptoms of ADHD are inattention (difficulty focusing, staying organized), hyperactivity (excess restlessness, excessive movement), and impulsivity (acting without thinking, poor self-control). People with ADHD often experience a combination of these, though some might primarily struggle with inattention (inattentive type) or hyperactivity/impulsivity (hyperactive-impulsive type).
The only way to know for sure is to see a doctor. That's because the disorder has several possible symptoms, and they can easily be confused with those of other conditions, such as depression or anxiety. Everyone misplaces car keys or jackets once in a while. But this kind of thing happens often when you have ADHD.
The 5 C's of ADHD, developed by psychologist Dr. Sharon Saline, is a framework for parents and individuals to manage ADHD challenges, focusing on Self-Control, Compassion, Collaboration, Consistency, and Celebration. This approach builds skills for better emotional regulation (Self-Control), empathy (Compassion), working together (Collaboration), establishing routines (Consistency), and recognizing progress (Celebration) to foster a supportive environment and reduce stress.
Unlike traditional ADHD, which is characterized by visibly disruptive behaviors and severe impairments, high-functioning ADHD allows individuals to maintain a semblance of control in daily life. However, this comes at a cost.
The one-touch rule
Teach your child to only pick up each item one time and put it away immediately. It could take some time to get used to, but once they do, this is a simple habit to keep things neat. For example, coloring books go onto their bookshelf, dirty socks go into the hamper, and so on.
Fatigue red flags signal potentially serious issues beyond normal tiredness, including unexplained weight loss, persistent fever, night sweats, shortness of breath, chest pain, severe headaches, confusion, or new neurological/joint problems alongside exhaustion. Other signs include fatigue worsening with activity, significant cognitive/mood changes, or lack of energy despite rest, suggesting conditions like infection, autoimmune disease, heart problems, cancer, or mental health issues, warranting prompt medical evaluation.
Take it gently to start with, and do not push through symptoms. Listen to your body. Start with a small amount of gentle activity that you can do on most days (not just on a good day) and without increasing your symptoms.
The 5 stages of burnout typically progress from initial enthusiasm to complete exhaustion, involving: 1. Honeymoon Phase (high energy, excitement), 2. Onset of Stress (initial decline, fatigue, anxiety), 3. Chronic Stress (persistent symptoms, irritability, withdrawal), 4. Burnout (feeling drained, ineffective, physical symptoms like headaches), and 5. Habitual Burnout (deep-seated fatigue, chronic sadness, potential depression, complete apathy). Recognizing these stages helps in intervening before severe mental and physical health issues develop, notes thisiscalmer.com.