Tips For A Good Night's Rest

Hello Everyone,

Here are some things to consider to get more restful sleep during your 10. I've tried these things out and after just over 105,000 miles my rookie year I haven't needed to pull off for a nap or had any dangerous events from drowsiness. And yes I do run my miles hard. I've done 2200 in 94 hours, 2852 in a week regional , and best day was 671 so I'm not taking excessively long breaks to reset my clock unless I am bound by dock times.

Here are some tips to consider...

MATTRESS: While the OEM mattress the truck comes with may work for some, investing in an orthopedic mattress can make all the difference in the world for most. Yes it's an investment but its an investment in your health.

MEALS: Ideally we don't want to eat less than 3 hours before bed. Yeah...in theory, but that is not realistic. If eating before bed keep meals as small as possible (you should do this for all meals as large meals make you tired). Avoid spicy or greasy foods if possible. If you are going to bed right after a meal, sleep on your left side as this is more conducive to digestion based on anatomy. MELATONIN: This has become a controversial subject. NEVER use it if you can't sleep at least 6 hours after taking it. Start off with 1 milligram tablets. It's a good supplement when used properly as it is a hormone that promotes sleep which gradually depletes as we age. If you take other supplements daily, just don't screw up in the morning like I did once and take one by accident before going through Chicago!! I took 2 caffeine pills to dilute the impact and I was okay.

MAGNESIUM: The most underrated mineral on the planet. Over 90 processes in your body depend on it. It is also called "The Nerve Mineral" as it literally bonds to nerve endings insulating them from over stimulation. Take in the evening with food. Try to get Magnesium Oxide, Citrate, or best of all Glycinate. Carbonate is crap, please avoid! Besides feeling a bit more calm and resting better you may see some muscle twitches dissapear as well as most Americans are deficient in Magnesium.

EXTERNAL NOISE CANCELLATION: We've all been parked where at 2 am somebody with one of those F'in beeping safety trailers goes off, or the truck parked next to you has an air dryer that goes off at 2 minute intervals overnight, or the driver is up playing video games with a sub woofer until 2 am. Download a white noise app OR meditation music and using the Bluetooth Audio feature on your trucks radio, pipe it throughout the cab. It wiped out 90% of the noise that will wake you even possible your own truck when it runs a battery cycle oveernight.

MEDITATION: Find some meditation training online that you can use. May sound goofy to some, but releasing the anger towards the retarded and rude behavior of other motorists, shippers, consignees, etc. will quiet your mind and make your sleep more restful.

Hope these tips help you out. REMEMBER, if you are nodding off, you've waited too long! Make the decision to park it and take a power nap. No load is worth your life. Take Care!!!

Thanks for sharing your tips for a good night of sleep.

For the white noise, where did you get the download? I've seen ads for these types of things, and the one time I decided to try and download it it came with a fee. Do you know of any free ones?

I'm interested in seeing how effective it is at canceling noise, but it's not something I need so badly as to pay for.

RD, I have a free app called Sounds where you can choose white, pink, brown, and things like forest. You can use one or click a bunch simultaneously. Honestly I don't use it much, preferring a station on Pandora called Binaural Tranquility Radio which is calming music I use every night. But that app might be good for what you're looking for.

Thanks, Sandman! Much appreciated.

Thanks for sharing your tips for a good night of sleep.

For the white noise, where did you get the download? I've seen ads for these types of things, and the one time I decided to try and download it it came with a fee. Do you know of any free ones?

I'm interested in seeing how effective it is at canceling noise, but it's not something I need so badly as to pay for.

At home, once I tried some binaural beats on youtube. Chankra healing those kinds, a lot are 3-12 hours long. 1st time, I fell asleep fast, by morning I thought "eh it's a fluke. Well I tried it more nights and I swear I went out like a light (from what I remembered those nights haha)

I'v used em many times, different types, and they all worked for me. I have an over active brain sometimes, and tell it to STFU already lol.....

I recommended those to a few other people I knew, and they also said it really helped them doze off quickly....There is so many to choose from and with many different MHZ levels.

Some good tips.

The idling truck provides me with good white noise, puts me to sleep nicely. I love the 12 hours of B17 on dark screen as well as 12 hours of train on black screen both on YT

I have an inordinately difficult time sleeping before 4 or 5 am. My circadian rhythm is just that way. I typically sleep from 4/5 am til noon or so. One of the beautiful things about many forms of trucking is that you can often aligh your work schedule to your circadian rhythm. The load usually dictates the time but within that, probably 2/3 or more I can run like I like to.

The load planners and dispatchers have told me they really value having drivers that will work nights and off times as many don't.

No matter what your choice is, it's a good idea to learn about circadian rhythms and natural sleep cycles. Unfortunately HOS is designed to fit one demographic and is often at odds with us. We end up driving when we want to be sleeping and trying to sleep when we want to be driving.

Tonight is a perfect example. I was set up to run a load overnight. The shipper renigged on their promise to load me early. I now have to start my day at 0500. It will be virtually impossible for me to get and sleep between now and then. I'll be starting when I would have been finishing my shift. I'll end up putting a few hours on, sleeping using split berth and then finishing the load. It is what it is.

Just remember, binaural music works best when on headphones. It's what it's designed for.

I'm super responsive to binaural music, which is awesome when it's done correctly. I actually get a single full body shiver when I land on a correct one. Some of them, while "nice" actually work against my body.

When I have to sleep at a really wonky time, I'll use wireless headphones because I know the dogs will make a ton of noise, if something is going on. As always, be careful what you are using.