If you’ve driven a long distance before, you know how tedious it could be to stay awake. Try imagining what truck drivers have to go through when they cross the country, hauling large loads. Drinking coffee won’t be a help since the energy boost from the caffeine and sugar will only be good for a few miles, and then you’ll feel more tired and sleepier than ever. If you’re in the trucking business and you want to know how to stay awake, here are a few useful tips:
1. Take a nap before the trip
Scientists say that taking a nap right before you start a long journey can make you alert for the trip. Take a short nap before you drive. Even an hour-long nap will be enough to keep you alert at least for as long as six hours. But if you feel sleepy after six hours, do not fight your sluggishness and pull over. It’s difficult to assess how alert you are when the drowsiness kicks in. You may not even notice that your eyelids are getting heavier.
2. Walk around
If you suddenly feel sleepy, pull over and walk around. Walking around will help your blood circulate and wake you up. You can even perform a few exercises to really jolt you awake.
Pull over to the nearest truck stop and perform some jumping jacks to get a boost of energy. The sudden increase of blood flow into your brain will jog it into complete alertness right away. You can also use this time to inspect your rig for any damages. Working your brain can also help you be more alert.
If you like, this can also be the perfect time to review your contract with your client. Figuring out details is a good mental exercise to help you wake up. Also, this can be a good time to consult your truck labor lawyer from Washington for any concerns regarding your profession.
3. Sing along to the music
Sometimes listening to music is not enough to jolt you back into complete alertness. Singing along to the tunes can help you be more alert because it’s not as passive as listening to music. Even if you don’t know the lyrics of a Linda Ronstadt’s song, try to sing along. It might even make you more alert if you’re trying to figure out the lyrics to the song you’re singing. Also, choose songs that are upbeat to really get you going.
4. Snack on fruits and other healthy stuff
Constantly snacking while driving can make you alert, as long as the snacks aren’t rich in sugar. As mentioned earlier, sugar can boost your energy right away, but as soon as the energy rush is gone, you’ll feel more tired than before.
The trick here is to snack on healthy food such as fruits. Bananas are a good source of energy, as well as apples, avocados, oranges, strawberries, dark berries, mangoes, papaya, and watermelons. Almonds are also a great source of energy. Make sure that you always have a bag of these nuts in your rig all the time. If you’re going to drink something, stick to water and fruit juices. Coffee is good for waking your brain up, but just like sugary food, your energy boost won’t last long.
Truck driving can be a sleepy endeavor, especially if you’re driving across the country. But if you know the tricks of the trade, you’ll be able to do your job without a hitch. More importantly, you won’t encounter any accidents caused by sleepiness.
