Sleep deprived, how do you sleep while OTR/parked next to APU?

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by BIGLEFTYINTX, Jan 8, 2019.

  1. nofreetime

    nofreetime Road Train Member

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    When I go home I can't sleep without a lawnmower underneath my bed it's just too #### quiet.
     
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  3. TravR1

    TravR1 Road Train Member

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    It took me about 3 months to adapt to sleeping in a moving truck. The reefer sounds anf truck stop racket never really bothered me. What happened with me is I'd get sporatic unreliable sleep for a few days, get exhausted tired, then sleep hard near corpse-status and not even my codriver can wake me up by shaking me. Wake up feeling great and refreshed, then start that cycle over again for a few months. Now its no big deal I'll sleep through a Normandy Beach D-Day landing.

    You can try music. Also just those spongy ear plugs. I have a bottle of those just in case but never had to use them. My hearing is pretty much shot anyway.
     
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  4. TravR1

    TravR1 Road Train Member

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    Phone and Qualcomm are important if you sleep during the day. I get calls all the time from the office.

    When they get calls from me at night, they are not happy about it. Go figure.
     
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  5. otterinthewater

    otterinthewater Road Train Member

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    Big diesel sleeping machines. I sleep better in my tractor than at home. At home I use a fan and white noise generator.
     
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  6. johnwayne187

    johnwayne187 Medium Load Member

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    youll get used to it. you get so tired after running all day, that as u parked and lay down for a few mins. that same same few mins turned into 7 hours real quick
     
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  7. VinnyVincent

    VinnyVincent Light Load Member

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    Hang in there man!
    https://www.bestbuy.com/site/bose-q...W6cU4zDIj-XLf2L0DI4aAg0SEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

    Those are expensive but I use them when I fly on the airplane. They are amazing.
    Other than that how are things going?
     
  8. Moose1958

    Moose1958 Road Train Member

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    Reefers can be a huge PITA. However, a driver should soon acclimate to them. Everybody handles sleep differently. However, one piece of advice I totally disagree with is dropping. Even in a company terminal. There are several problems with this practice. First is load security. Most gladhand and kingpin locks can be easily defeated with time. Unless you can position the load in such a way your tractor blocks it in you are taking a risk. Go ask your company what the average load costs to replace. The next problem is finding a place to actually unhook. You let another driver see you park your trailer and tractor side by side and you might get up that next morning with a reefer turned off. A 3rd problem is at best you are just making the getting used to it take longer. I saw setting the reefer on continuous mentioned. The primary problem with that is some carriers have this disabled. My last carrier had this mode disabled in a lot of their reefers. Earplugs and white noise? I admit I did this from time to time. I continued to do it even after watching a reefer unit start burning and got so hot so quick the driver almost did not get out.

    I think I was one of the lucky ones. I could get a restful sleep with 2 to 4 hours of REM sleep. Reefers and other things can prevent a driver from getting REM sleep. Remember no REM sleep = NO REST! This lack of REM sleep is why I think some drivers think they have sleep apnea. I will say this, however. If you can't get restful sleep I highly recommend a driver find another driving job where you can sleep in your own bed at night.
     
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  9. aussiejosh

    aussiejosh Road Train Member

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    When your really really tired you will almost tolerate any kind of noise give it a few more days you'll be sleeping like a baby. However to help out try and get a good set of ear plugs and ear muffs to block out most of the noise, with the fridge motor sometimes its easier to leave the thing on endless running the noise then is more even rather then stop start. A bit like a dripping tap or a clock ticking all night long it gets very annoying.
     
  10. Jwhis

    Jwhis Heavy Load Member

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    I sleep way better in the truck than I do at home with a three year old kicking my head
     
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  11. Sirscrapntruckalot

    Sirscrapntruckalot Road Train Member

    Now that's kinky!

    I hope she's quiet if your in a hotel room.

    Though other guests would be amused at the sounds.

    "Turn my key baby!" "Vrooooom!"


    I should stop before I get in trouble.


    Sirscrapntruckalot - What do you do with a dead chemist? You barium. - You may thank the internet
     
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