Having A Problem

Lately my eyes have been unfocusing (is that even a word??) after an hour or two of driving. I keep having to pull them back into focus...thing is, I shouldn't be tired! I'll be perfectly alert and good to go, then within a couple hours...I'm struggling to keep my eyes open and focused. I've tried just about every trick I can think of and some I've read here...movement helps the most, but only for a few minutes. I'm really concerned because I don't understand why it's happening or what to do. Has anyone else ever had this happen?

Forgot the one thing I think might cause this...the assisted manual tranny because I don't remember this happening when we were in a manual.

What you're describing honestly sounds like road hypnosis. Try not to become so "locked in" on the road. That is to say, it's good to be alert and aware of what's happening on the road, but there is such a thing as concentrating too hard, and it can actually hinder your awareness. Try to relax a bit, and give your eyes a chance to rest occasionally by looking at your gauges, the radio, or gps. You can also plan very small breaks (<5 minutes) every few hours and take a quick walk around the truck.

I have the same problem especially driving at night. The best thing for me is to either stop for a few minutes and walk around or get my hubby to talk to me about something.

Or I snack on something crunchy like chips or crackers. The noise and the act of eating seem to take some of the edge off.

I would chew gum especially at night. I would go thru a pack a shift.

C.M. testifies:

Or I snack on something crunchy like chips or crackers. The noise and the act of eating seem to take some of the edge off.

I did that too. Then a few weeks later, I found out my pants had shrunk. Go figure!

I listen to the radio. You go out of a station's range in about an hour of solid driving, so for the next station, I look for a different style of music. Somewhere in central Illinois I found a station that admits to playing "Hippie music"! (Donovan, Herman's Hermits, etc.)

I wrote an article that might help:

12 Tips To Help Drivers Stay Awake Longer

I used to like stopping every two or three hours to get out for a few minutes. Unfortunately with the 14 hour rule and electronic logs that may be difficult to do if you're on a tight schedule. But even a five minute break to get out and walk around makes a world of difference.

Brett, I think I read that article a while ago but I'll revisit it. CM, I'll side with Errol on the chips lol. I'm finding that if I'm not smoking I'm eating and neither is good. I've switched the chips to fruit, baby carrots, and trail mixes. I'm trying to switch the smoking to gnawing on toothpicks but gum might be a tastier alternative. Road hypnosis got me researching, of course, and sounds like a plausible explanation. Now I can work on fixing it. However, music, cold, fresh air, keep the eyes moving, ... I've tried those. I do little exercises in my seat; I love coffee but had to cut waaaay back on that lol. I'm wondering if smoking more is contributing...

I've switched the chips to fruit, baby carrots, and trail mixes

Watch those trail mixes - they are loaded with calories. You can pack away an 800 calorie snack in 30 minutes without much thought. You'll put on weight so fast you won't believe it.

When you do eat, eat small portions at a time. Larger portions will make you more sleepy also.

Have you tried audiobooks? Those are fantastic entertainment. My go-to thing for long trips is like "VH1 Behind The Music" on YouTube. I don't watch the video while I'm driving - there's nothing really interesting to watch on those shows anyhow. It's mostly just interviews and narration over still photos. But the stories are super interesting and very well done.

If you don't have satellite radio, consider getting that. There's about a million stations, including a lot of talk radio. Talk radio can be fascinating also if you find subject matter you're interested in.

Have you tried audiobooks? Those are fantastic entertainment. My go-to thing for long trips is like "VH1 Behind The Music" on YouTube. I don't watch the video while I'm driving - there's nothing really interesting to watch on those shows anyhow. It's mostly just interviews and narration over still photos. But the stories are super interesting and very well done.

If you don't have satellite radio, consider getting that. There's about a million stations, including a lot of talk radio. Talk radio can be fascinating also if you find subject matter you're interested in.

I listen to podcasts a lot when driving. If you have strong political views, try listening to a show on the other side. It'll have you yelling at the radio and that'll keep you up and you won't even realize where the time went.