Late Nights...Energy question

Just one little difference there, Ron. It's a thing called "AGE!" If you have not learned about it yet, don't worry, you will soon enough.

 

25: I found that good (rare nowadays) conversation was the very best alertness pill.
I've always remembered this one run I was on from Springfield Mo. to somewhere in Cali. I got in a convoy of about 10 trucks full of good talkers with good humor...we never did stop except to pee. Of course, back then we didn't have a little qualcomm tattletale to keep us in line. Without something to do, I-10 was the very most boring and sleep-seductive road in the US.

 

that is a good point, but i'd refrain from sleeping in the seats period. I'd go lay on the bunk, LIKE a seat, dont laydown flat, just prop yourself up against the back wall or side wall. if you are going to condition yourself to sleep, do it where you...uh.....SLEEP.

As far as the power shakes or shots or whatever, forget em. They dont work. and for those that say they DO work, its all in their head. It might give you a burst of energy, but so will eating a while package of pixie sticks in 5 minutes. You're better off to snort a package of Kool-aid...LOL.

What i do, i pull off, and take no more than an hour break. normally you'll only get 30 min. of good solid sleep anyway. THEN when you wake up, get out and jog around your truck 4 times.

If i find myself driving, and i know i cant really afford to stop for 30 minutes, keep your hands busy. Get some Cheez-Its or some of those Planters snack crackers...or those Slim Jim cheese and beef stick snacks. if you keep your hands busy, you'll be fine.

dang...another thing that helps.....get a 20-30lb dumbbell. do a few reps with your right arm, get the blood flowing. Take the wheel at the 9 and 3...and try to push the sides together. (and no you wont risk wrecking the truck...)

 

Saw the post on conversation...missed that before. I dont have one of those bluetooth, NASA headsets yet...dont really talk to that many people on the cell, just normally text.....

but anyway, also books on tape are good. Anything to keep your mind working.....

 

I only work nights,usually until midnight or 0100 am.I drink lots of water and since I'm an old fart who only has a 100 mile bladder, I pull over every so often.
Drinking a Coke works for me,doesn't help my teeth or my figure,but keeps me awake.Talk radio and the CB also helps.
Getting proper sleep is the best cure.

 

Thats about right! They showed us sleep patterns etc. in training! When you first start getting tired tell you to get some caffeine, like soda, chocolate..I drank water all day but kept m&m's and a pepsi for those moments..this just helps for a little while, nothing beats rest!

 

Actually Bo and Ed posted the things that work well. I found long ago that the walk into the truckumup did more good than the cup of coffee, and keeping the mind busy promotes alertness. I learned to play the harmonica driving truck (aireating the brain). I used to have a mat I'd roll out beside the truck and do pushups and situps on, with a short walk - wake you up really well for a couple hours.
When you yawn, it from lack of oxygen to the brain, they say. So, adding oxygen does the inverse. I can drink a pot of coffee and go to sleep, but others can do a cup and you'd think they were taking black beauties. (if those are still around, I dunno)

 

I don't understand it, but I'm the same way with coffee. Drink it all day, and right up 'till bed time, then go to bed and sleep like a baby. But let me have just a couple of glasses of regular ice tea with dinner, and I'm wired for hours. As I said, I don't understand that. . .

 

Sitting in a doctors office one day, leafing through one of those medical journals, and was surprised to read that an apple will supposedly do a better job of keeping you awake and alert than several cups of coffee. Some natural ingredient in an apple that does it.