According to the National Sleep Foundation, 20% of Americans have trouble sleeping. Whether their issues are with falling asleep or staying asleep, many Americans simply can’t get the rest they need. With a truck driving job, sleep is a must. Driving for hours on end, a trucker needs to be alert and ready for anything.
There are many reasons why sleep may be difficult to come by, including factors such as stress, long hours at work, and drinking too much caffeine or alcohol during the day. The constant go, go go, go of today’ society also makes sleep seem elusive. “It’s no secret that we live in a 24/7 society,” says Dr. Carl Hunt, director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research at the National Institutes of Health. “There are many more opportunities to do things other than sleep – 24-hour cable TV, the Internet, email, plus long work shifts.”
As a truck driver, you have to constantly be moving or else you don’t make money, and with the many responsibilities packed into a single day, the job can become stressful. With all the aspects of a truck driving job, when it comes time to pull over and get some rest, many truck drivers find it difficult to shut down.
So what are you supposed to do when the sandman avoids you? One simple tip is to try and have a regular bedtime. As a truck driver, this is not always possible, but getting to bed around the same time each day will eventually train your body to become tired at a certain time. Another tip is to try and relax (easier said than done). There are a few methods, such a deep breathing and simple stretches, which will relax your body and to relax your mind, try visualizing a peaceful place such as a green meadow with a clear blue sky.
If, however, you continue to experience signs of insomnia, try talking to your doctor. Sleep is as important to your health as diet and exercise and your doctor can help you find a method that would work for you. Going without sleep for a continuous amount of time can eventually lead to health problems like heart disease and diabetes.
Sleep is important, especially when you are driving a large truck all day. When you drive drowsy you are not only risking your life, but the lives of those around you. Don’t risk it. Find your way to sleep and stay asleep.
For a truck driver working holidays is very common. One thing that makes working on holidays incredibly hard is when you can’t find a place to eat. On holidays many places close and forget about the truck drivers that may be working.
When it comes to smoking, the habit that was easy to start quickly becomes a habit that even toughest guys and gals out there can’t kick. It is hard to quit for most people because of the oral and physical addiction. There are even smokers that don’t want to quit because they enjoy it. The sad truth for those people is that it might be too late by the time they feel the effects of smoking and decide to quit. So, if your reading this now you have already taken the first step, your thinking about quitting.