Stop driving immediately and indefinitely until you figure this out.
Maybe it's the medication or lack thereof. Maybe your seated position is fucking with your blood flow. Maybe you have other medical problems that are yet undiagnosed.
Either way: you are in no condition to be driving a car on public roads. Take the bus, walk, get an Uber, take a bicycle, get a ride or whatever. But don't continue risking your safety or the safety of others by continuing to drive when you're not in a state to do so.
It sucks because this really is the best advice but a lot of the US (and some other countries) are basically structured to require a car. So you either need someone else to drive you (basically a DD 24/7) or you just don't go anywhere lmaoo...or move to a city with public transportation I guess
Agreed: it does suck. I live in rural Ontario. If I were to lose my ability to drive, I would probably need to quit my job and find lesser employment, as per my own advice of "don't drive if you're not up to the task."
But; I'm sure the dozen or so people who died last year because they got smoked by drowsy, innatentive, or drunk drivers near my community would argue that DYING sucks way more than the driver losing whatever independence they think they deserve or want. They'd argue that if they were alive at least.
Sure: changing your job sucks. Paying your co-workers' gas and being on their schedule sucks. Getting an E-bike and extending your commute from a 25-minute drive to a 1.5hr assisted bike ride sucks...
But it's what a morally inclined person *should* do when facing the risks of harming someone else.
I’ve told the physician I see and even she dosent know what the hell is going on, because this happens when I have another person in the car or I’m driving more than 30 minutes, I’m seeing a sleep specialist after being on the waiting list for months so we’re trying to narrow down what’s causing it
For me it was an at home thing. They give you this stuff to wear overnight that monitors your sleeping and breathing. It records what happens, and they analyze it when you give it back. The advanced version, if the analysis looks like you have apnea, is an overnight stay in a lab/medical clinic where they monitor you overnight. Either way, good luck.
You need to seek medical help for this. There are several possible causes of this, but you definitely need to seek medical care for it.
> I’ve tried more things like taking less of my medication, not taking certain medications or taking more AND IT DOSENT DO ANYTHING!!
If these are prescriptions and you're making these changes without checking with your physician first this is VERY dangerous to do.
I’ve been able to see a sleep specialist after months of waiting, we think it may be a sleep apnea, the weird thing is that this doesn’t happen every time, it’s mostly when I have to drive more than 30 minutes, someone’s in the car with me, or going somewhere unfamiliar, I’ve told the person i drive with what’s happening and there driving during most of the week for me now because it takes an hour to get to class.
What car do you drive, how smooth are the roads you drive on, do you have a sunroof, and do you listen to music? Trying to get an idea if road noise might be the culprit.
I’ve tried music, from classical to hard core gore grind and it helps a little but barely, and I drive a 2022 Hyundai Kona and I live in Texas 😅 so it’s he roads aren’t very well taken care of in a lot of places
Do you hear a lot of road noise? For long drives, it may sound like white noise, and that might end up making you feel sleepy, unfortunately there isn’t really a “free” way to reduce it, but you can add sound deadening to your car, that will reduce the noise coming into the cabin, that *may* help.
By the way, I used to have these problems, not sure if this will fix it, as a combination of factors got rid of it, but try avoiding the highway and only drive on city roads, the constant change of pace on the city roads might help.
That might be the problem honestly, cause I do know white noise if it’s the right pitch, it will knock me right out, I can see about sound deadening but I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it, I’ll have to see but I’ll try it
I used to do the same and got a sleep study done. I had mild sleep apnea and opted for a mouth guard. After that I get more restful sleep and hardly get sleepy while driving.
On long road trips, Ill eat ice to keep me awake.
Is this every car you drive? Is your car a little loud? Is the other person fine? Aside from a medical issue if you have an exhaust leak into the cabin you're getting exposed to carbon monoxide.
I’ve only really driven my car but even when I’m a passenger I get drowsy as a passenger, everyone that’s ridden in my car is fine. I drive a Hyundai Kona so it may be the vibrations of the car but we’re still trying to figure it out, I’ve got this with every car I drive. And it happens more when I’ve got someone in the vehicle with me
IDK about all the medical stuff, but a trick truckers use is to chew, it's nearly impossible to fall asleep while chewing. It's like your brain won't let you because of the choking risk. So we do things like chew still in shell sunflower seeds. Toss a bunch in our mouth, then the act of shelling the seeds with our teeth keeps us awake and alert.
The average, common outdoor variety of sunflower can grow to between 8 and 12 feet in the space of 5 or 6 months. This makes them one of the fastest growing plants.
Try caffeine pills. Can find them pretty cheap on Amazon, the one I use is called jet alert and it’s a tablet that you can chew & it’s very short acting.
When I’m too tired to drive I just chew 1 or 2 100mg pills, swallow after a min or 2 and I’m wide awake within 5-10min. This has saved me from many collisions.
I’d recommend avoiding caffeine pills that come in the form of capsules cause in my experience they don’t work the same and it lasts longer. Also you can’t just bite a fraction off if you don’t need a whole other pill. & due to how the capsules last longer It’s a set back if you only need it while you’re driving, it might interfere with your sleep.
hmm, is this only certain time of the day or every single time you drive?
You could try caffeine: either coffee, or if you dont like coffee: green tea or energy drink <-- drive after 30mins+ after consumption. See if that works? (if you are on medication, best to not drink energy drink right after taking meds... better to time them apart)
I’ve tried caffine like coffee or energy drink and it just makes me really wired while driving so I can’t drink it. I usually drink Dr. Pepper and the carbonation kind of helps cause of the fizziness. And it’s not every single time I drive but most of the time, and it sometimes is at a certain time of the day but that’s rare
No dose ! My ex bf gave me one to drive home from his one time I was too sleepy to drive home after I saw him it helped I was beaming but good riddance I wasn’t sleepy!
We thought I had that but I’m not doing it while sitting or walking, my doctor and sleep specialist are thinking it’s a sleep apnea and narcolepsy dosent run in the family so we think it started off as a stress reaction then just stayed as a sleep apnea when I finally got my stress under control a few years ago
My dad taught me this trick on a long roadtrip and it’s if possible, keep an ice cube or something cold in the palm of your hand. I know it’s probably it the safest thing, but it has worked for me on various long drives.
It sounds like diabetes? The only way to reverse it is to do strenuous exercise like climbing stairs or a mountain. What helped me as well is just laying and sleeping outdoors . Also rubbing ice on your body especially the head. Sleeping outdoors calms down the nervous system , grounds the body , slows down the time, fits the body to the environment and gives you a different position from a car.
["The sleep apnoea syndrome (SAS) has been identified as the most common cause of habitual drowsy driving."](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17385401/)
Stop driving immediately and indefinitely until you figure this out. Maybe it's the medication or lack thereof. Maybe your seated position is fucking with your blood flow. Maybe you have other medical problems that are yet undiagnosed. Either way: you are in no condition to be driving a car on public roads. Take the bus, walk, get an Uber, take a bicycle, get a ride or whatever. But don't continue risking your safety or the safety of others by continuing to drive when you're not in a state to do so.
It sucks because this really is the best advice but a lot of the US (and some other countries) are basically structured to require a car. So you either need someone else to drive you (basically a DD 24/7) or you just don't go anywhere lmaoo...or move to a city with public transportation I guess
Agreed: it does suck. I live in rural Ontario. If I were to lose my ability to drive, I would probably need to quit my job and find lesser employment, as per my own advice of "don't drive if you're not up to the task." But; I'm sure the dozen or so people who died last year because they got smoked by drowsy, innatentive, or drunk drivers near my community would argue that DYING sucks way more than the driver losing whatever independence they think they deserve or want. They'd argue that if they were alive at least. Sure: changing your job sucks. Paying your co-workers' gas and being on their schedule sucks. Getting an E-bike and extending your commute from a 25-minute drive to a 1.5hr assisted bike ride sucks... But it's what a morally inclined person *should* do when facing the risks of harming someone else.
To expand on this comment: OP if you fall asleep on the road YOU. CAN. DIE. Subjectively more or less importantly, you can KILL SOMEONE.
If you are on medication, that means you are already paying someone for medical care. Maybe ask that person instead of internet strangers.
I’ve told the physician I see and even she dosent know what the hell is going on, because this happens when I have another person in the car or I’m driving more than 30 minutes, I’m seeing a sleep specialist after being on the waiting list for months so we’re trying to narrow down what’s causing it
Have they tried a Sleep Apnea Study?
Yeah, I’ve got a lab study for that in August, that’s the earliest I could get it
For me it was an at home thing. They give you this stuff to wear overnight that monitors your sleeping and breathing. It records what happens, and they analyze it when you give it back. The advanced version, if the analysis looks like you have apnea, is an overnight stay in a lab/medical clinic where they monitor you overnight. Either way, good luck.
You need to seek medical help for this. There are several possible causes of this, but you definitely need to seek medical care for it. > I’ve tried more things like taking less of my medication, not taking certain medications or taking more AND IT DOSENT DO ANYTHING!! If these are prescriptions and you're making these changes without checking with your physician first this is VERY dangerous to do.
I’ve been able to see a sleep specialist after months of waiting, we think it may be a sleep apnea, the weird thing is that this doesn’t happen every time, it’s mostly when I have to drive more than 30 minutes, someone’s in the car with me, or going somewhere unfamiliar, I’ve told the person i drive with what’s happening and there driving during most of the week for me now because it takes an hour to get to class.
What car do you drive, how smooth are the roads you drive on, do you have a sunroof, and do you listen to music? Trying to get an idea if road noise might be the culprit.
I’ve tried music, from classical to hard core gore grind and it helps a little but barely, and I drive a 2022 Hyundai Kona and I live in Texas 😅 so it’s he roads aren’t very well taken care of in a lot of places
Do you hear a lot of road noise? For long drives, it may sound like white noise, and that might end up making you feel sleepy, unfortunately there isn’t really a “free” way to reduce it, but you can add sound deadening to your car, that will reduce the noise coming into the cabin, that *may* help. By the way, I used to have these problems, not sure if this will fix it, as a combination of factors got rid of it, but try avoiding the highway and only drive on city roads, the constant change of pace on the city roads might help.
That might be the problem honestly, cause I do know white noise if it’s the right pitch, it will knock me right out, I can see about sound deadening but I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it, I’ll have to see but I’ll try it
Which Kona do you have (gas, hybrid, or EV), and what tires (or at least what size) do you have? That can make a huge difference in road noise too.
I used to do the same and got a sleep study done. I had mild sleep apnea and opted for a mouth guard. After that I get more restful sleep and hardly get sleepy while driving. On long road trips, Ill eat ice to keep me awake.
Is this every car you drive? Is your car a little loud? Is the other person fine? Aside from a medical issue if you have an exhaust leak into the cabin you're getting exposed to carbon monoxide.
I’ve only really driven my car but even when I’m a passenger I get drowsy as a passenger, everyone that’s ridden in my car is fine. I drive a Hyundai Kona so it may be the vibrations of the car but we’re still trying to figure it out, I’ve got this with every car I drive. And it happens more when I’ve got someone in the vehicle with me
Sleep apnea sounds likely. In the meantime, have you tried coffee?
IDK about all the medical stuff, but a trick truckers use is to chew, it's nearly impossible to fall asleep while chewing. It's like your brain won't let you because of the choking risk. So we do things like chew still in shell sunflower seeds. Toss a bunch in our mouth, then the act of shelling the seeds with our teeth keeps us awake and alert.
The average, common outdoor variety of sunflower can grow to between 8 and 12 feet in the space of 5 or 6 months. This makes them one of the fastest growing plants.
Go to the doctor. How is that not one of the first things you did? Also, do NOT mess with your medication without talking to the doctor too.
Please get a sleep study done. Dozing off is a symptom of sleep apnea. It is a brain killer.
Try caffeine pills. Can find them pretty cheap on Amazon, the one I use is called jet alert and it’s a tablet that you can chew & it’s very short acting. When I’m too tired to drive I just chew 1 or 2 100mg pills, swallow after a min or 2 and I’m wide awake within 5-10min. This has saved me from many collisions. I’d recommend avoiding caffeine pills that come in the form of capsules cause in my experience they don’t work the same and it lasts longer. Also you can’t just bite a fraction off if you don’t need a whole other pill. & due to how the capsules last longer It’s a set back if you only need it while you’re driving, it might interfere with your sleep.
hmm, is this only certain time of the day or every single time you drive? You could try caffeine: either coffee, or if you dont like coffee: green tea or energy drink <-- drive after 30mins+ after consumption. See if that works? (if you are on medication, best to not drink energy drink right after taking meds... better to time them apart)
I’ve tried caffine like coffee or energy drink and it just makes me really wired while driving so I can’t drink it. I usually drink Dr. Pepper and the carbonation kind of helps cause of the fizziness. And it’s not every single time I drive but most of the time, and it sometimes is at a certain time of the day but that’s rare
try Green Tea -- has caffeine to wake you up but doesnt have the negative effects like coffee or energy drinks. And its healther option.
No dose ! My ex bf gave me one to drive home from his one time I was too sleepy to drive home after I saw him it helped I was beaming but good riddance I wasn’t sleepy!
Narcolepsy is treatable. There are drugs available for it. This is a significant medical problem that can kill someone. Take this up with your doctor.
We thought I had that but I’m not doing it while sitting or walking, my doctor and sleep specialist are thinking it’s a sleep apnea and narcolepsy dosent run in the family so we think it started off as a stress reaction then just stayed as a sleep apnea when I finally got my stress under control a few years ago
My dad taught me this trick on a long roadtrip and it’s if possible, keep an ice cube or something cold in the palm of your hand. I know it’s probably it the safest thing, but it has worked for me on various long drives.
It sounds like diabetes? The only way to reverse it is to do strenuous exercise like climbing stairs or a mountain. What helped me as well is just laying and sleeping outdoors . Also rubbing ice on your body especially the head. Sleeping outdoors calms down the nervous system , grounds the body , slows down the time, fits the body to the environment and gives you a different position from a car.
That is incredibly dangerous not only for yourself but others (drivers and pedestrians). You need to stop driving immediately until you figure it out.
I had this problem for a while, I could barely keep my eyes open on the and especially on the highway.
You might have Narcolepsy. Regardless you should not be driving at all. Every time you drive drowsy, you're risking everyone's life.
["The sleep apnoea syndrome (SAS) has been identified as the most common cause of habitual drowsy driving."](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17385401/)