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It’s important to be aware of a danger that comes with this: drowsy driving. Defined as driving while sleepy, it’s more common than you think. According to a Centers for Disease Control survey, about 1 in 25 adult drivers reported falling asleep while driving within the past 30 days. According to a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 21% of fatal crashes involved a drowsy driver. So, while you may feel like you’re in control and can keep yourself awake, remember that probably everyone in that situation also felt the same. Tiredness can affect your mind and ability to drive in a slew of ways, too, so there’s no one way in which an accident will happen. According to Susan Miller, a lead researcher and certified sleep expert at SleepMattressHQ.com, being sleepy can impair your judgment and decision-making, reduce awareness of your surroundings (from cars to road conditions to traffic signals), and affect your coordination, balance and fine motor skills. “Even a momentary lapse of attention can be dangerous while driving, so prioritizing safety is important,” she added. Jeff Kahn, a sleep expert and the CEO and co-founder of Rise Science, agreed. “Microsleeps, in particular, are a cause for alarm, as they can last only a few seconds and occur unknowingly,” he said. “While this might not seem like much, on a highway traveling at 65 miles per hour, those seconds can mean the difference between life and death.” Further, the dangers of driving while sleepy are often compared to the dangers of driving drunk. Kahn said 24 hours worth of sleep deprivation — at once, or accumulated over time — results in the same cognitive impairment equivalent as a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.10%, which is higher than the legal limit. And again, he added, it’s unsafe to drive even before you reach that point. He pointed to the concept of “sleep debt,” or not getting enough sleep cumulatively. “If you regularly miss an hour of sleep for 10 consecutive nights, your cognitive impairment can be as severe as if you hadn’t slept for 24 hours straight,” he explained. When Drowsy Driving Is Most Likely To Occur One of the two time ranges when this occurs may surprise you. According to the Department of Health of New York State, most sleep-related crashes occur between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., and 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. So yes, driving in the early morning isn’t a great idea, but that “afternoon slump” period isn’t either. This is when bodies are typically the most tired. “Importantly, these are the times when you’re biologically-inclined to be more drowsy, thanks to the peaks and dips of your circadian rhythm (your internal body clock),” Kahn said. “Your circadian energy dips will happen regardless if you had enough sleep or not, but sleep deprivation will make you feel drowsier at these times than you otherwise would.” Unfortunately, many factors can contribute to this, though some may be more common than others. Here are a few of the most common ones: Not getting enough solid sleep on your vacation As tempting as it sounds, the answer isn’t louder music, colder air or talking to someone. “The only cure for sleepiness is sleep,” Milling said. Take a short nap While napping in public may feel uncomfortable, it’s crucial. You can take a nap at a rest area, gas station or other place you feel safe. And hey, only a short nap is needed. “Ideally, you should take a 20 to 30 minute nap to feel refreshed, but not so long that you enter a deep sleep cycle and wake up feeling groggy,” Miller said. “If you’re unable to nap, simply resting your eyes or having a break from driving for a few minutes can also be helpful.” Add some caffeine to the mix While caffeine can help, Miller continued, it’s a short-term fix and it can’t cure severe fatigue. She recommends drinking about 200mg of caffeine (equivalent to a cup of coffee) 30 minutes before getting back on the road. Having a coffee between napping and driving also adds time between waking up and driving, which Kahn said is important. He encourages having that buffer time “to ensure the post-nap grogginess doesn’t affect your driving skills (even if you’ve only napped for less than 20 minutes).” Combining the two can eliminate mid-afternoon sleepiness for up to an hour, according to a study in the journal Psychophysiology. But again, these experts say a nap comes first and foremost. “Whether you include caffeine or not, though, the most important ingredient is the nap,” Milling emphasized. “Never skip sleep in favor of a double espresso.” Exercise Lastly, while it may seem counterintuitive, some movement (along with the nap) can help. “A short burst of exercise can wake you up and increase your alertness,” Miller said. She encouraged light stretching or a short walk. You could even get some errands done during this time, like walking around the grocery store. Consider other options that will get you home safely If these options feel undoable or aren’t cutting it, don’t let that deter you. “Call someone to drive you home or the rest of the way,” Eichelberger urged. “You can also find a motel [and] rest for the night, or get a cab and head home.” While a Lyft ride or motel stay won’t be inexpensive, it is cheaper — and safer — than the alternative. Long-term, Eichelberger recommended maintaining good sleep habits. If you notice excessive fatigue often, she added, consider talking to a sleep doctor so you can avoid car accidents (and various other problems). Being proactive is always smart, too. Milling mentioned not driving if you’ve been awake for 18+ hours and scheduling breaks every couple of hours, to start. This way, you’re less likely to get caught in a drowsy driving situation. While vacations and life can keep us busy, sacrificing sleep isn’t a great idea — especially if you’re ever behind the wheel. This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
