Hi all
Ok, I’m a week and a bit into nights and I’m struggling with tiredness around four in the morning. This is usually after I have finished and am on my way back to the yard. The work is easy, it’s only dropping the papers to the hubs so it’s not brain surgery! Any more tips to help me stay awake would be appreciated. Tried the window open, radio on, snacking and red bull etc, but still struggling! 
What time you going to bed and getting up for work ?
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I start at around 2am so I have to get up around 1am. I drive for 4 hours and then take a break, I use the break entirely for a quick 40min eye rest nap (actually I usually take an hour)
I have always a fresh flask of strong coffee and a mobile filled with lectures/lessons to listen to as I drive. But the most effective thing is making sure I go to bed early enough so that I don’t START tired.
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
blue estate:
What time you going to bed and getting up for work ?Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I’m usually home around 7-8am, in bed by 10-11am and up at 6ish. I start between 8 and 9pm depending on the run. When I’m waiting for the load I can usually get at least an hours kip in the bunk!
As above you need to make sure you dont start tired. Everyones different, i can get away with 6hrs and be fine all day, the evenings again sometimes and im done. To keep awake i use energy drinks (sugar free cheapies) the downside to this is the caffiene content will make you p1ss all the while. Sometimes a couple of 50mg trammies chucked in with caffeine tablets (at least cuts the liquid out) will do me for an extra couple of hours or so.
Its ok though saying go to bed early but its not always easy especially if youre at home with family life going on around you…
I think you already know the answer for this…pull over and take a 20 minute nap.
Yeh a 15 to 20 minute power nap does it for me, most days in fact, and I don’t normally start to 6am or after 
.
Any longer than that and I wake up feeling like ■■■■.
As for doing nights, briefly tried it once, could not hack it.
I don’t even like, or do, early morning starts anymore, but think that’s down to loss of enthusiasm and interest in the job tbh.
I personally don’t jump on the bed for a nap . Years ago I found I was falling into too deep a sleep & waking up feeling worse , now I just tilt the seat back & have 10-15 minutes & feel fine .
If i get tired i dont get on the bunk a stay in the seat.Mayby just me i find a sleep on the bunk for anything over 20mins will make you worse.Quick nap and am good to go but i cut out coffee fizzy juice and energy drink.When i got home i was goin to bed but found i was not sleeping very good because of all the caffine in the drinks.
A trigger spray bottle with fresh chilled water helps,
Spray it on your “bake” and it wakes you up rightly!!!
A wipe around the eyes with a baby-wipe helps too.
(I have been know to wipe the rain off the drivers mirror and slap it round my face when “boat-chasing” before now!!!)
I never take energy drinks but like a cup of coffee plus banana and blueberries help too believe it or not!!!
Sent from my SM-J500FN using Tapatalk
I know this is blaspheming on a truckers forum, but I find a good spray of deodorant freshens me up!
I try to stay away from too much caffeine, as it’s a vicious circle…
A gram of billy will do the trick. should help you sleep better at the end of your shift too with that come down.
On a serious note though, I don’t do nights that often but when I do, I slept when I needed too.
You will eventually adapt and it won’t be a problem but whatever you do, don’t carry on driving if you are that tired. No job is worth dying for.
You need to get to the services safely for your nap before you can have it. Turn the heater off, wipe your face with a cold flannel, open the window and sing, shout or have an imaginary argument. Do not get fooled into thinking that because you feel a bit better that you can carry on to the following services, because they may be the best part of an hour away. When you’ve had your nap don’t start driving straight away, get out of the cab and walk about, jump up and down or do anything reasonably physical for a couple of minutes then go over to the toilets and wash your face.
Too much caffeine can have totally the opposite effect. It can send you to sleep. Try taking soup and limit the coffe / tea intake.
I always felt better gettin on the bunk for half hour get up ha e a bite to eat a drink and ready to go
I did nights for many years but can’t hack it after 4am, preferably finished by 2am, that 4 to 6am window is a killer and i don’t how the regulars manage.
If it doesn’t change for the better it might be worth seeking another job with a late afternoon start leading to being on the way home at 2am or sooner, better to pack the dead hours up by choice 
Been doing nights for a couple of years now, and aside from baby wipes and water sprays, the best advise I can give is: get into a routine. You don’t see day workers up all night trying to have a life, so why should a night driver be up all day? If you’re not against the clock, make sure you have plenty of water, dehydration can tire you out. Personally i try and avoid energy drinks because when they wear off, they wear off!
PS beware road closures, people don’t realise that most of the road network shuts down at night!!!
robroy:
Yeh a 15 to 20 minute power nap does it for me, most days in fact, and I don’t normally start to 6am or after
Any longer than that and I wake up feeling like [zb].
As for doing nights, briefly tried it once, could not hack it.
I don’t even like, or do, early morning starts anymore, but think that’s down to loss of enthusiasm and interest in the job tbh.
Stuff that. It feels wrong to me to be starting post 7am. Back when I was on days and distance work on the rigids I’d start at about 4am and be done and parked up around 15:00. Food sorted then in bed by 17:00. Used to be bliss then I got onto artics then changed to nights.
I worked permanent nights for 15 years until I retired refusing day work point blank.I got into a routine withdaytime sleep so that I never even felt tired during the night.Unfortunately after 3 years retired I am pretty much the same.Anybody who knows me is aware that I am good for a pick up from a pub or airport at 3 or 4 in the morning.Still married to a good woman too.I know,probably because we rarely speak.
neil2402:
blue estate:
What time you going to bed and getting up for work ?Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I’m usually home around 7-8am, in bed by 10-11am and up at 6ish. I start between 8 and 9pm depending on the run. When I’m waiting for the load I can usually get at least an hours kip in the bunk!
Trying to take cat naps during a shift to compensate for not enough proper spleep during the day isn’t really safe and 11 am - 6 pm isn’t enough sleep generally let alone for night work and that’s probably your problem.When ideally I found that more than 8 hours sleep was the only real way to guarantee that your body clock will switch to night work properly.While trying to sleep at night during a shift will just defeat the object of that and you’ll then be too often tired at night and /or early morning when you need to be awake.