There are plenty of campaigns that talk about how dangerous it is to drive while you’re tired. These campaigns largely focus on making sure people are getting enough sleep before they’re behind the wheel.
Did you realize, though, that there are many other reasons why you may feel tired? Even if you get seven or eight hours of sleep, that may not be enough to keep you from becoming drowsy.
What are the main causes of drowsiness?
Drowsiness can be caused by many factors such as:
- Working the night shift
- Working long hours
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Boredom
- Hypothyroidism
- Diabetes
- Hyponatremia
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Mononucleosis
- Sleeping disorders
- Medications
As you can see, just getting enough sleep is not going to be enough to resolve the problem of drowsy driving. For some people, other medical conditions or factors play a role in their consistent drowsiness, which is something that has to be considered.
What can you do if you’re always feeling tired?
If you regularly feel tired, it’s important for you to go seek out a medical provider to speak with. It’s a good idea to have your bloodwork done and to find out if there could be an underlying medical issue that is making you so tired all the time.
If you take medications, check the side effects list carefully. Some medications are more likely to make you drowsy than others. You should check that your medications don’t cause drowsiness. If you have multiple medications that do, consider switching to non-drowsy options when available.
Finally, if you are not feeling awake or alert, avoid driving. While it may be frustrating to have to take a ride share service or to use a taxi, staying off the road is the best option for someone who is feeling tired. When you’re tired, you’re more likely to make mistakes. If you do, you could end up getting involved in a collision or near-miss.
Remember, if you’re hit by a drowsy driver, you can pursue a claim against them. This is a preventable factor in many crashes, but it doesn’t have to be one in yours.
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