Falling Asleep While Driving: 11 Tips to Stay Awake
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Intus Healthcare’s writers, customer service team, and sleep experts review and ensure this information is accurate.
Last updated on October 22nd, 2024 at 10:45 am
Falling asleep at the wheel is extremely dangerous; if you feel tired when driving, you should find a safe place to stop and rest. Driving whilst drowsy is one of the biggest reasons for road accidents, leading to a high number of injuries and deaths per year.
Research has found that one in eight (13%) UK drivers admit to falling asleep at the wheel, and nearly two-fifths (37%) say they have been so tired they have been scared they would fall asleep when driving (1).
Tiredness affects thousands of people for many reasons; this article is written to help you understand why you may be tired at the wheel and ways to stay awake while driving.
Table of Contents
11 Ways to Stop Falling Asleep While Driving
There are lots of ways you can increase your alertness when driving, before driving and during your journey. Our top tips to stay awake include:
- Getting enough sleep: Sufficient sleep fuels your body for the day; try to maintain a stable sleep schedule. Various sleep-tracking watches can help you understand the duration and quality of your sleep. Learn more: Can an Apple Watch Detect Sleep Apnoea?
- Take frequent breaks: Plan your journey to pinpoint where you can stop for breaks. If you travel a long distance, aim to stop every 15-20 minutes to help you stay alert. This is particularly useful if you are not used to travelling for long distances.
- Avoid driving at night: If you are not used to driving at night, you should avoid it; your body’s internal clock will make you sleepy between midnight and 6 a.m. (if you’re usually asleep between these times). Driving at night can also be more problematic as it is darker.
- Take turns driving: If possible, bring a travel companion and take turns driving. Sharing the driving load can allow you time to have a nap and return to driving with more alertness.
- Avoid alcohol and other sedatives: Alcohol and different prescription medications induce sleepiness and reduce concentration. You should not drink and drive and postpone your journey if your medication impacts your driving ability. Research found drunk driving resulted in 220 deaths and 1,160 serious injuries in 2020 alone (2).
- Enhance your sleep environment: Practicing good sleeping habits by enhancing your sleep environment should increase the amount of sleep you get, reducing tiredness at the wheel. You can do this by ensuring you’re sleeping in a comfortable bed, removing blue light, and ensuring your room is dark, cool and quiet.
- Utilise caffeine: Caffeine is a stimulant that increases alertness; although it will not last long, it is a short-term help.
- Keep your cool. Tiredness can affect your mood and lead to angry reactions towards other drivers. A study found that over two in three (69.5%) drivers experience road rage, which impacts their ability to drive safely and increases the risk of accidents (3).
- Look at the weather forecast: The weather can hugely impact driving, and when paired with sleepiness, it increases the risk of accidents. Fog, blinding sun, wind, and torrential rain can influence your driving ability. If you plan for a long journey, take note of the weather forecast and, if possible, postpone your trip until it is safe to drive.
- Concentrate: Be wary of common tricks to stay awake, such as fiddling with the air conditioning, heating, and radio, as these distract you from concentrating on the road.
- Take a home sleep test: One of the most prominent signs of Sleep Apnoea is tiredness. You could have the condition if you have other symptoms, such as morning headaches, memory loss or chronic snoring. We advise taking a home sleep test if you have these symptoms; this test provides results in two working days and is followed up with a consultation with one of our in-house sleep clinicians. The complimentary consultation lets you discuss treatment options and what to do moving forward. If Sleep Apnoea is not detected, it gives you peace of mind to rule out the condition.
You should not start a long journey if you’re exhausted; this puts not only you but everyone else around you at risk.
Signs You Are Falling Asleep at the Wheel
- Constant yawning
- Tired, droopy eyes
- Increased blinking
- Drifting into other lanes
- Difficulty concentrating and keeping your head up
- Inability to maintain the correct speed
- Forgetting parts of your journey
- Missing road signs
- Taking the wrong exit
- Driving too closely to other cars
The Sleep Apnoea Test – On Sale Now, Get £40 Off
A quick and easy way to confirm if you do or do not have Sleep Apnoea is by taking a sleep test.
The test requires one night of sleep data, and the results are sent to you within two working days.
If Sleep Apnoea is detected, our in-house clinicians can walk you through your treatment options and answer any questions you may have.
What Causes Drowsiness at the Wheel?
Various factors can cause you to be drowsy, affecting your body clock. Your body’s internal clock tells you when to be awake and when to sleep; when disrupted, it can affect your driving.
Medication: Certain medications can cause drowsiness, including antihistamines and antidepressants. If your doctor advises you to avoid driving, you should do so.
If you are worried about driving with your medication, you can discuss this with your doctor; they may change your medication, change the dose or advise taking it at a different time of day.
Heavy meals: Eating a large meal before your journey can increase sleepiness. This is often because eating can raise your blood sugar, decreasing your energy (4).
Strenuous exercise: Completing strenuous exercise before setting off for a long journey can increase sleepiness. Post-workout sleepiness is the body’s natural response to physical activity. Physical activity causes the muscles to deplete the supply of glycogen, resulting in muscle fatigue and the potential to become sleepy (5).
Time of day: Those who work irregular shifts or long driving distances, such as truck drivers and taxi drivers, may find that their roles alter their sleeping patterns. The irregular and long hours can disrupt your circadian rhythm (the body’s sleep-wake internal clock), posing a higher risk of drowsy driving.
Lack of sleep: Broken or lack of sleep can alter your driving ability. Drowsiness seriously affects a driver’s attention, judgment, decision-making, coordination, vigilance, and reaction time.
Sleep disorders: Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is one of the most common reasons for drowsiness when driving. OSA causes excessive daytime sleepiness due to reduced sleep quality caused by the upper airway becoming blocked during sleep. Aside from sleepiness, other symptoms include excessive sleepiness, shortness of breath, and choking during sleep.
If you develop a sleep disorder or a different notifiable medical condition, you should notify the DVLA.
Learn more:
Who is Most Likely to Fall Asleep When Driving?
- Those who drive for long periods, such as delivery truck drivers.
- Those who work irregular shift patterns and night shifts.
- Those who have a sleep disorder.
- Those new to driving.
Drowsy Driving VS Drunk Driving
Both drowsy and drunk driving impair a driver’s ability to operate a vehicle safely, leading to potentially fatal consequences. While drunk driving is more publicly recognised and legally breaking the law, drowsy driving is equally dangerous and requires increased public awareness and preventative measures.
Similarities between the two
Reduced reaction times: Both drowsy and drunk driving significantly reduce a driver’s reaction time, making it difficult to respond quickly to sudden changes on the road.
Impaired judgment and decision-making: Drivers under the influence of alcohol or suffering from sleep deprivation exhibit poor judgment and decision-making abilities, increasing the likelihood of dangerous driving behaviours.
Decreased attention and vigilance: Both conditions lead to reduced attention spans and vigilance, causing drivers to miss critical signals, signs, and other vehicles on the road.
Physical coordination: Alcohol consumption affects motor skills and coordination. Similarly, drowsy driving impacts physical coordination due to muscle fatigue and slower reflexes.
Summary
Many factors can cause tiredness at the wheel, and we hope this article has helped you understand why you could be falling asleep at the wheel and ways to stay awake.
Finding and addressing the root cause is essential for keeping you and everyone else safe on and off the road.
If you think your sleepiness is due to Sleep Apnoea, take a simple home sleep test or contact us.
We are happy to guide you through the process of sleep testing and treatment options and answer any questions you may have.
About Our Editorial Team
Written By,
Danielle Mahri, Staff Writer
Danni is a degree-educated content writer who works closely with our clinical and customer services teams to ensure every article is well-researched and accurate. Each article is written to educate, help, and advise on Sleep Apnoea, spread awareness, and encourage treatment.
Medically Reviewed By,
Jay Gadher, Clinical Manager
Jay is an experienced Respiratory and Sleep Clinical Scientist. He completed his BSc in Healthcare Science, which has allowed him to gain expertise in scoring sleep studies. His knowledge and insights about sleep science and human health ensure every article reflects the latest data.
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The Best Foods to Help You Sleep
Health Risks of Untreated Sleep Apnoea
References
- The AA Charitable Trust, (2018). Drowsy Driver Campaign. Available at: https://www.theaa.com/about-us/newsroom/aa-charitable-trust-launches-drowsy-driving-campaign. Accessed: 26.07.2024.
- Quittance Legan Services, (2024). UK Drink Driving Statistics (2024). Available at: https://www.quittance.co.uk/uk-drink-driving-statistics. Accessed: 26.07.2024.
- Daniels, J. (2023). UK road rage report. Available at: https://www.comparethemarket.com/car-insurance/news/angry-motorists/. Accessed: 26.07.2024.
- Cleveland Clinic, (2022). Tired After Eating? Here’s Why. Available at: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/tired-after-eating. Accessed: 26.07.2024.
- E. LeWine, H. (2021). Why am I so tired after exercising? Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/exercise-and-fitness/why-am-i-so-tired-after-exercising. Accessed: 26.07.2024.