Why does driving make you tired and/or sleepy?

1. Why does driving make you tired?

While a lot of us are pretty enamored by driving and about everything related to it, sometimes, it takes us out. But why though? Why does something that requires you to just take a seat and move your arms and legs occasionally take a lot out of us?

Why does it tire us out? Also, aren’t we getting used to it since we’re driving every time? From and to work, getting the kids to school and fetching them from school? Long road trips for that particularly long holiday in Baguio or Batangas?

Many of parents out there will know how tiring this crap is

That being said, we’re here to find out why driving makes you tired?

Traffic time - The time of the day

After a long day’s work, we hop into our cars and head to our homes. Some of us will be stuck on EDSA for quite a while. This is worse for some people like those who work in BGC whilst living somewhere like Fairview or Caloocan. At the most, these guys from the north will arrive home probably on 11:00 to 12:00 PM.  9:00 PM if they’re lucky.

For humans, we have this thing called our circadian rhythm. In simpler terms, our body clock. Due to this, our body releases a lot of melatonin when it’s getting late, a hormone that regulates our sleep. The same goes for some people in the afternoon.

Manila Traffic: Welcome to hell

As such, people who are affected by this are the examples we mentioned above, people who clocked in overtime, and night shift folks.

>>> Helpful tips for Pinoys drivers to beat stress while stuck in a traffic jam in Manila

Hungry or Dehydrated

Being hungry or dehydrated will obviously have effects on your responsiveness and alertness.

Note though that sugary food will provide you a quick boost of energy once it runs out, you’ll feel even MORE tired. As such, we recommend foods that are low on sugar or low-glycemic foods. These are stuff like whole grain, bread, pasta, and non-starchy vegetables.

Also, an apple is actually better in pepping you up than a cup of coffee.

After eating this apple, I'll drive from Quezon City to Echague, Isabela and back again...see ya!

>>> Also check out: Common health issues of drivers and the effect on their driving ability

The kind of road you’re driving on

Another thing that can get you tired is driving on long empty roads for a while. A road devoid of traffic, traffic lights, stop signs, and even bumps can be a paradise for the Filipino city slicker but often than not, most will find it monotonous and your alertness will drop. This is also worse if the said highway is already very familiar to you.

Highways like the Subic-Clarke features long stretches

There’s also this phenomenon called target fixation where humans get so focused on an observed object like the unending white line in the middle of the road.

Worse yet is this thing called highway hypnosis or white line fever wherein a driver enters a trance-like state.

To combat the boredom while in a long drive, we recommend listening to audiobooks and music if you’re alone or talking to people riding with you in the car.

Sleep debt

Most adults especially here in the traffic-riddled Philippines are not getting enough sleep. Remember that example we mentioned earlier? The hard-working person who lives in Fairview whilst holding a job in BGC?

We bet that he/she is a few hours short of the 7 to 9 hours of total sleep a human adult requires to function normally.

What’s worse is sleep debt also builds up over time. Early mornings and the late-night drive back home coupled with partying out on the weekends will literally catch up to you in the form of sleep deprivation.

Your going to be sluggish and your decision making and alertness levels will begin to disappear like when Thanos snapped his fingers.

The only way to fix this is by sleeping.

Don't let it come to drowsing off whilst backing out of the parking lot

>>> Worth to note: Drowsy driving: What are the risks and 10 ways to stay awake

Vibrations

In a study done by RMIT University, volunteers were subjected to a gently vibrating car seat complete with a steering wheel and a set of pedals. All of these things were vibrating, thus mimicking the act of driving.

What happened was in about 15 minutes, drowsiness began to take hold for these volunteers who were, for the most part, were wide awake before the simulation. As the researchers have said, it’s a “lulling” effect that’ll progressively worsen over time.

Also, cars bounce about so our bodies will make tiny muscular corrections to keep ourselves planted on our seats. Doing this over and over again over long distances will make you sore. Conversely, holding a position, in this case, sitting down, for long periods of time will also be taxing on the human body.

Sensory Overload

Most of us who are good drivers will pay close attention to his/her surroundings, watching the spaces surrounding us like a wolf on the hunt. That can be tiring when done hours on end and that will ultimately drain you.

2. Why does driving make you tired? Some tips to combat the tiredness

Listen to music or an audiobook

Whether it’s that brand-new song from Tool or the latest audiobook from Audible, these may help you stay away regardless of whether it is driving on a very congested road or on long highway distances. It also keeps you from the dreaded highway hypnosis.

Stop and stretch

Another thing that you can do to wake up your drowsy limbs is actually pulling over (carefully), hopping out of your car, and stretch. It doesn’t have to be full exercise routine, just a full-body stretch and walking around will jostle you from Mr. Sandman’s grasp.

If your vehicle's roomy enough, you can even do stretches while on the driver's seat

>>> For your reference: 10 tips you need to follow to avoid sleepiness while driving

Find something to eat

As we’ve said earlier you might just be hungry. A body that’s running low on energy will feel drowsy so like your car, you’ll need some calories to burn to keep going.

Note though that very sugary food will wear out quickly and will make you feel drowsier after the sugar rush. Go for a full low GI Index meal that’s high on protein and fiber.

Pullover at a rest stop and get a nap

For those of you who are really lacking sleep, then you should pull over and get a short nap. You might get late for your appointment but you’ll be alive when you get there.

Park in a safe spot and have a short power nap

Did this guide help? If it did, be sure to keep reading here on Philkotse.com.