Ya gotta be careful

[etpm]

Several months ago I bought a Toyota Tundra with a little over 40,000 miles. I really liked the truck even though it was hard to park because of its size. Then a couple weeks ago at 1:15 in the afternoon I nodded off for a couple seconds and totaled the truck by hitting a tree. I was sleep deprived and on a new med that I should have taken in the evening, not the morning. My sternum hurts real bad and I have been told to expect 4 more weeks of pain. If there was someone standing by the tree I coulda killed them. Insurance is paying off the truck and a rental and fence damage. Now my doc has to fill out a form telling the state that I am OK to drive, that this was a one time occurrence. I'm 69 and fatigue can sneak up faster than when you are young. I had NEVER in my life ever fell asleep at the wheel. Scary. Ya just gotta be careful when operating cars, trucks, and tractors.
Eric

 

[HamishMacCheap]

It is scary. I hope the recovery and relief from pain is quick.

 

[bmaverick]

Several months ago I bought a Toyota Tundra with a little over 40,000 miles. I really liked the truck even though it was hard to park because of its size. Then a couple weeks ago at 1:15 in the afternoon I nodded off for a couple seconds and totaled the truck by hitting a tree. I was sleep deprived and on a new med that I should have taken in the evening, not the morning. My sternum hurts real bad and I have been told to expect 4 more weeks of pain. If there was someone standing by the tree I coulda killed them. Insurance is paying off the truck and a rental and fence damage. Now my doc has to fill out a form telling the state that I am OK to drive, that this was a one time occurrence. I'm 69 and fatigue can sneak up faster than when you are young. I had NEVER in my life ever fell asleep at the wheel. Scary. Ya just gotta be careful when operating cars, trucks, and tractors.
Eric

Eric, Glad you didn't die or hit some other innocent people.

Also, drink more water. Fatigue happens more when you drink less. Each morning once out of bed, I grab a glass of warm water. Sleeping 6 to 7 hours of no water intake deprives the brain of needed liquid refreshment in the body.

I take no meds, but take herbal supplements instead. Some could put you to sleep quickly. Those are taken in the evening. Never mix them for daytime being awake. Even the herbal teas can put a person into the lullaby zone.

 

[bigtiller]

It's amazing how easy and fast we can fall asleep when we don't want to. It happened to me once when I was 15, but I got lucky and was awakened by a passenger.

But I can still fall asleep 3 times trying to watch a ½ hour TV show.

I hope all your troubles go away without biting you.

 

[Fixastuff]

Now my doc has to fill out a form telling the state that I am OK to drive,

But you might not be?

 

[sandman2234]

Happens a lot more than people are willing to admit. Even a brief "blink" can lead to issues when traveling at the speeds people drive today.
A friend who worked for a sod company said they hired a guy to mow the grass and he send a drone up to photograph the path the guy was cutting. He would drift, then correct the path, then drift again. He just couldn't stay awake, so he left to find a better job.
Daivd from jax

 

[etpm]

But you might not be?

No, I'm sure I will get the OK from the doc. We already discussed this and she said I was safe to drive. But then I got a letter from the state because the state wants to be sure. Of course. I was truly just really sleep deprived and the medication can have a soporific effect.
Eric

 

[square1]

Ya just gotta be careful

Yes we do. Thanks for sharing. None of us are getting younger.

 

[Carl_NH]

Wow, Eric glad your OK and just some pain which hopefully goes away soon. I am the same age and have 2018 Tundra 22K mi, really like the truck but is much bigger than my 2000 1st Gen Tundra.

Just did a 2200 mi road trip last month - driving early in the AM to about 2-3 PM I find is best for me,

 

[Duds13]

Do you have sleep apnea?