Falling Asleep while driving?

[Billydude]

I started noticing a couple of years ago that I would fall asleep for a second while driving.  It escalated to a point that on a weekly long trip I needed to take that I would start falling asleep at the wheel many times and have had many close calls.    I finally had to give up on driving this trip and had to hire someone to drive me.   I don't believe I have sleep apnea as I sleep well, don't snore and get a full nights sleep.   This falling asleep at the wheel can happen at any time of the day.
Is there a medical reason for this?    I also have severe neck degeneration.  Could sometime be cutting off oxygen to my brain when I'm in this position?    I don't fall asleep at other times.  Just while I am driving.

[ackerst]

I experienced a frightening case of this both on Friday and again today on a big road trip with my kids in the rental car. It was terribly frightening! I don't remember having this so strongly and uncontrollably in our regular car. I'm beginning to think that the sleep problem in the rental car was caused by EMF: http://www.****.com/252/radiation-in-cars-practical-tips-on-how-to-minimize-it/

I do know that I have a sensitivity to other electronic devices, and especially wireless communication devices (although those symptoms are different). My hunch is that they are all related...

[MomofGirls48]

I'm nearly 50 and have been dealing with this my whole adult life.  When I was in college, I drove a taxi in the summer at a resort and would NEVER take a night shift because that's when it is worst.  Just three days ago when I was coming back from bringing my daughter to college, it happened over and over on the 100 mile drive.  I actually got lost somehow, in my own city, and have no idea how I got to where I was.  Things that have helped include avoiding high carbs.  They give me a boost for a few minutes but the crash is so huge.  I will bring pistachio nuts or beef jerkey to munch on along with a big unsweet tea.  The weirdest thing too is that if I pull over to sleep, I can't.  It's not a tired thing, it's like a trance or a hypnotic state.  Something else too, I fall asleep really quickly when I do lay down.  It's hard for me to sit on the sofa at night and watch TV because I doze right off (real sleep).  I usually read or play a word game before bed and usually last about 1-2 minutes before the book drops and I'm out.  The kids laugh because if I am tucking them in and laying beside them, I will fall asleep in the middle of a song or story.  I wonder why some researcher doesn't study this obvious phsiological issue.  Heck, they can "discover" it, cure it and name it after themselves!

[twillsheep]

Sometimes when I drive I don't even remember how I got from one place to another.  Today I drove 1-1/2 hrs fighting falling asleep the whole way.  It doesn't happen all the time.  Sometimes I think it has to do with what I've eaten, but this time I can't think of anything that would have caused this since I was sleepy on the way there as well.  It is really scary!  I am beginning to be afraid to drive. I've had 3 sleep studies with the only finding as restless leg syndrome.  I do have chronic back problems and have been taking some aspirin the last few days.  I know I gain weight when I take aspirin or aleve.  Maybe it makes me drowsy too.  I am tired enough that if I were to sit still (as I do in the car) I would fall asleep.  I have stopped and slept a few minutes along the way.  I don't like this, but it is nice to know that I'm not alone.

[clifford18]

I have a sleep-while-driving problem on long car journeys. I have found my own answer - caffein tablets (two at a time) plus energy drinks like Red Bull. I always carry both of these in the car. They always seem to work pretty quickly. Effect lasts more than an hour.
Symptoms of onset - difficulty focusing on traffic ahead, involuntary eye movements so vision becomes unstable, (moving up and down or side to side), a sense that sleep is only a few seconds away, inability to do anything about it by willpower alone or trying to distract myself eg radio, fresh air, shouting. Time for caffein and Red Bull. What a relief to know there is a solution to this very scary problem! (Hope it works for you).
clifford

[tdlove]

OH MY GOD.... This is so my Daughter. I am so very SCARED for her,and too hoping to find some answer or help. She too has no insurance. I'm SCARED AS HELL I'm going to lose her. Like yourself she has tried every thing to keep her awake. The end result is so like yourself, calls me to keep her talking. There has even been times I've called her and that call woke her up veering into on coming traffic. PLEASE ANYONE HELP US. If you find out any thing would YOU PLEASE let me know. I will NOT GIVE UP searching for a solution. I will let you too know when I get answers. All my best to you. I now know shes not alone. Thanks for sharing.

[tdlove]

OH MY GOD.... This is so my Daughter. I am so very SCARED for her,and too hoping to find some answer or help. She too has no insurance. I'm SCARED AS HELL I'm going to lose her. Like yourself she has tried every thing to keep her awake. The end result is so like yourself, calls me to keep her talking. There has even been times I've called her and that call woke her up veering into on coming traffic. PLEASE ANYONE HELP US. If you find out any thing would YOU PLEASE let me know. I will NOT GIVE UP searching for a solution. I will let you too know when I get answers. All my best to you. I now know shes not alone. Thanks for sharing.