How to train yourself to sleep on cue?

Kaygirl I don't have a solution to your problem but I can tell you from experience of dealing with it with my wife. if you go for 3 nights with out at least 6 hours sleep in one of the 3 nights it does damage to your brain that can't be repaired, that's is what 2 doctors told my wife. she worked a schedule for 5 years kinda like this. start out on Monday start work at 6:30 am get off work at 7 or 8 pm come home get in bed around 10 go into work Tuesday at 2:30 am and get off 7 or 8 pm. she worked this schedule 6 days a week. her memory is junk now and can't think clearly a lot of the time now, gets confused about what she is trying to say. we found some of this when she was checked for altimers [sorry bout the spelling]. no sign of it and the doctors concluded that the lac of sleep for a extended period of tim had caused her problem. I battled with the sleep problem and still do, my problem is I cannot sleep in the day time and I will go till I just can't think straight and stop. I got to sleep at night that's why otr and me don't get along well. for your own good I do hope you find a solution to your problem. one thing for sure no sleep is not good.

 

I'd say go with the flow, include some time for naps when you plan needed or not

 

FIRST and FOREMOST-don't run teams. Next as the opportunity arises,and it will the more experience that you get under your belt,drive for a company that is NOT so technology conscious. You need to drive for an outfit that runs loose leaf logs,hey they're just as legal as any elog,and hopefully drive for one that does not use that darn qualcom. Drive a truck that does at least 70 which keeps you well out of that 62-65 mph cluster of fingerless driving gloves.when you are stuck in that crap,how can you make time? heck,you are forced to run in all that dangerous pack junk because you can't get around them.

when you step up to driving for an outfit that trusts you to drive their truck,as opposed to the rank and files that do not-proving so with all that technology,your sleep pattern(s),thus your quality of sleep, will improve.

synopsis- no elogs/no qualcom/truck that does a fair job utilizing loose leaf logs =a more refreshed/well rested driver that is running as legal as those that are constrained by all that technology.Oh yeah-you're load availability just increased as shippers pay more and ship quicker on truck lines that can get the job done.service sells.

 

so are you saying your never make it on time on elogs ?

 

melatonin being bad for ? from my exp everything that is good for you is still bad for you at a certain point I thought carbs gave you energy and would keep you awake

 

Just curious but what does your doctor prescribe you that your company allows you to take on the road. Over here, companies seem to frown on sleeping meds prescribed by doctors.

 

Your question has many answers and proves that you are an astute student.I will simply declare that I do not run them now nor have i ever been stifled by them.that is what elogs do. They stifle.they create duress,stress, and unsafe driving habits as the "super trucking mega fleet driver" attempts to get it all done as the clock ticks.

one quick example is at the truck stops.it is the elog "driver" that speeds thru the area of drivers w/their kids,dogs,using canes to walk,etc.

eloggers speed thru construction zones and then get passed when the road opens up.

eloggers sleep at the consignee or shipper because they can't drive ten -fifteen miles down the road to the truck stop because they are out of time per the box.eloggers are always the nastiest looking and most unkempt drivers out there.NOT every elogger but almost every driver that looks haggard/stressed/unkempt will be on elogs.

i'll be flamed by the eloggers that know nothing but driving under the constraints of them,in the 62-65 mph lane blocking trucks in 70-75 mph zones, and i'll be thanked by those of us that know better.

 

Kaygirl For years I had the same issue, I just couldn't stop and rest. I would work until 3 or 4 in the morning and then get a few hours sleep and off to work again. I would end up taking a nap at 2 in the afternoon and then go again.

I found out that I had to turn off the distractions, ignore what was going on and slow down. Meditation to tune out things and stop thinking helped a lot, it took a lot of practice to get it right. Now it is second nature for me to be able to go right to sleep and ignore the sounds outside if they are repetitive - like an engine running.

 

Wow your a charming one aren't you I have met god on here the holiest of all truckers who does no wrong but yet talks about running illegal seems like to me your the one that doesn't care to much about safety what do you drive 20 hours a day and have 2 sets of log books ? I wonders if you talk to your wife like that ? and your right I'm a student here to learn so I don't know everything like you do I would also be willing to bet your one of the truckers that give truckers a bad rep too

 

Sounds like my ex wife...her head went round and round and then she spit up pea soup...