Team Driving Sleep Problems
Topic 15252 | Page 1
Not coming from a team driver, or even a driver yet, but caffeine maybe? Either getting less than you are used to, or taking too much too close to sleeping so that you fall asleep from exhaustion while your brain is still stimulated?
How about water? Being on the road, trying to avoid having to stop (or use the jug), could you be drinking too little water? Lack of enough water intake during the day, especially in the hours before bed, can leave you with some nasty hangover-ish symptoms in the morning.
Could also be related to blood pressure change due to new sources of anxiety/stress, and/or your new trucker diet. You can buy one for personal use quite inexpensively (some insurances will even reimburse you) or you can look for a blood pressure tester when you travel. If you don't run across one normally, I have yet to step into any place with a pharmacy (CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, etc) that doesn't have one available either sitting out or by request. Make sure to compare it to records you have of your BP from before you started getting symptoms. Even if it isn't at what would be considered high levels for the general public, if it is higher than your normal personal levels, it could be causing issues.
You might want to contact someone in the medical profession about it. You should want to know if there is a quick and easy fix to get you running right again. You also shouldn't want to be running wrong where a symptom could endanger you and others on the road. See if you can get some professional advice over the phone or email from someone who can put their years of schooling to use for you.
Do you ever watch up feeling dizzy, disoriented, or have a massive head ache? If you do, you know the cause?
Have you been tested for sleep apnea? Some of these symptoms might be caused by lack of oxygen?
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
I drive team and I've never experienced this. Neither has my fiancé, to my knowledge. If I wake up with a headache it's usually because I went to bed with one. It sounds a lot like vertigo. You should see a doctor if symptoms persist.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
One of our members, "Phoenix", raised the same issue a couple of weeks ago driving team with her husband. Both were getting bad headaches. She never said what was causing hers but her husband's was due to caffeine.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
I team and don't have this problem unless my codriver took a corner too hard lol. Sometimes i get sinus headaches from allergies but typically i sleep like a baby and wake 7 hours later ready to roll.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
One of our members, "Phoenix", raised the same issue a couple of weeks ago driving team with her husband. Both were getting bad headaches. She never said what was causing hers but her husband's was due to caffeine.
Sorry, I lose service in some States and then forget.. I believe it's water, or rather a lack of. I moved from the great lakes area to northern nevada about seven years ago and have had difficulty keeping myself hydrated ever since; however, since becoming an OTR driver, I'm always on the edge of severe dehydration. There are several ways to check this, but urine color and odor are the quickest. There should be very little to no odor and color should be pale yellow to clear. (Note that diet and medications can affect either.) That said, every time we go into Laredo I wake with a bad headache that disappears as soon as we leave and I can have my ' morning' coffee. Also, we have both noticed we get headaches when we travel through the mountains. The altitude differences, perhaps? I cannot stress the importance of hydration though! Our bodies CANNOT survive without water and our bodies begin a process of failure as the degree of dehydration increases.
Trivia...did you know the headache of a hangover is caused by dehydration? The brain shrinks and stretches the nerve endings.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
SAP:
Substance Abuse Professional
The Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) is a person who evaluates employees who have violated a DOT drug and alcohol program regulation and makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
So this is a question for the team drivers ... Do you ever wake up feeling dizzy, disoriented, or have a massive headache? If you do, you know the cause? I've been curious to why i feel this way and i believe it may just be blood rushing to my head or altitude sickness, answers would help
One thing that may not have been thought about is carbon monoxide poisoning. It may be causing these problems as it has similar effects. I might look into possible exhaust leaks coming into the cab. Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas. It may be way of but it never hurts to check.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
Crawdaddy conjures:
One thing that may not have been thought about is carbon monoxide poisoning. It may be causing these problems as it has similar effects. I might look into possible exhaust leaks coming into the cab. Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas. It may be way of but it never hurts to check.
A little bit ago, I thought the same thing when I had a few headaches. My heart rate also increased and I felt confused. I happened to be at a large crowded truck stop with lots of idling trucks both times so I figured maybe it was CO poisoning too.
I got a CO detector and it hasn't gone off once. I got the Kidde one that has a little readout on it telling you how much CO it detects currently and the max amount it has detected. Both say 0, so it hasn't detected anything over 30 ppm even once. I picked it up at Walmart for under $30.
My guess is dehydration and/or lack of sleep are causing the headaches. Like Brett has said plenty of times, don't let yourself get too tired. Once I push myself past a certain threshold, I start having all kinds of problems--headaches, confusion, depression, faster heart rate, panic attacks, and difficulty sleeping. I mean, some of those seem a bit extreme, but if you go several days without proper sleep, you might start to experience some of those. Plus, for me anyways, it snowballs because I get wired and can't sleep even when I try.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Crawdaddy's conjecture:
One thing that may not have been thought about is carbon monoxide poisoning. It may be causing these problems as it has similar effects
Paul's illumination:
I got a CO detector and it hasn't gone off once.
Errol's contribution:
You could close all the windows and vents, and shut off the A/C - heater. There would still be a fresh air flow through the passenger area. Trucks and cars are designed that way, for that reason.
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So this is a question for the team drivers ... Do you ever wake up feeling dizzy, disoriented, or have a massive headache? If you do, you know the cause? I've been curious to why i feel this way and i believe it may just be blood rushing to my head or altitude sickness, answers would help
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.