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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Poor nights sleep, AIBU to ask when you’d reconsider driving?

95 replies

chessica · 13/12/2023 08:06

I slept 4 hours from midnight until four, then tossed and turned until 5:30, then disturbed, then managed to get another 45 minutes. Grand total of 4 hour 45 min. If I was at home and didn’t have to work this would be fine! But since I now do, I can’t shake the worry of whether I’m ok to drive. My role involves quite a lot of driving and I need to do a 50 mile round trip today, 25 miles each way. I’ve done the journey before and I am an experienced driver but know you shouldn’t drive if you haven’t slept much

AIBU to ask where your limit would be on driving and sleep? Would you drive anyway if you felt fine or reconsider if you’d been up and down in the night?

OP posts:

escapethemaze · 13/12/2023 08:07

at the end of the 25 miles, will you have a break and chance to get a coffee and something to eat?

LittleBearPad · 13/12/2023 08:07

You’re the only one who knows how tired you feel.

escapethemaze · 13/12/2023 08:09

Tbh that seems ok to me

Do you have children? because that’s a pretty good night when you have a young baby!

theduchessofspork · 13/12/2023 08:09

This has to be your call - only you know how you feel.

Original poster

chessica · 13/12/2023 08:09

escapethemaze · 13/12/2023 08:07

at the end of the 25 miles, will you have a break and chance to get a coffee and something to eat?

Yes.

OP posts:

Lochness1975 · 13/12/2023 08:10

Only you know. If I only had to drive 25 miles after 4 1/2 hours sleep I’d think that was a victory!

Zoraflora · 13/12/2023 08:10

If it was due to illness then id probably try and stay at home and rest. If it was a bad nights sleep I would get on with it and stay hydrated.

theduchessofspork · 13/12/2023 08:10

… personally I would feel ok and be able to function fine on that amount of sleep - but it’s a very personal thing.

Original poster

chessica · 13/12/2023 08:10

I have slept worse previously obviously there’s been nights with zero sleep, but it’s more the matter of driving so far which has never really been in my daily routine.

OP posts:

Youcannotbeseriousreally · 13/12/2023 08:10

I would drive if I needed too regardless. But I would keep the radio on low and the heat on cooler and take my time.

if I didn’t do what I needed to do everytime I was tired or slept badly I wouldn’t do anything!

Switcher · 13/12/2023 08:10

When I had three kids under 5, this did not involve much sleep. I still drove, but I would only drive under an hour on too little sleep, so I either didn't do longer distances or my husband drove. It does affect concentration and IMO judgement, but it's not completely binary.

Waitingfordoggo · 13/12/2023 08:11

As others said- only you can judge if you think you’re safe to drive. I would do it- I fairly regularly drove on less sleep than that when I had a baby and a toddler.

CalistoNoSolo · 13/12/2023 08:12

Really think you need to woman up here. A 50 mile round trip is negligible if you drive a lot anyway, and to an insomniac like me, 4.45hrs of sleep seems loads.

FiveShelties · 13/12/2023 08:13

I would have a shower, eat breakfast and drive. I sleep really badly and 4.75 hours does not sound bad, but if you normally sleep 8 hours then I can see it would not seem much.

25 mile is not much of a drive, especially as you know the route. Many people would do that every day for work - I used to work 35 miles away.

escapethemaze · 13/12/2023 08:14

woman up op

this is a bit pathetic

i will take a punt that if it was something fun and you’d been looking forward to today…. you wouldn’t be posting navel gazing about this

margotrose · 13/12/2023 08:14

I'd just get on with it, but I suffered from insomnia for years and still drove to work everyday.

SgtJuneAckland · 13/12/2023 08:15

I only really sleep 6 ish hours regularly, so just under 5 doesn't seem bad at all, also I don't consider 25 miles a long drive, it's about 40-60 minutes depending on roads and traffic. However if you feel exhausted and like you're not in a fit state to drive that's the judgement you need to make

SgtJuneAckland · 13/12/2023 08:17

Do you really think 25 miles is 'so far' ?!

DappledThings · 13/12/2023 08:17

Nobody can give you an answer because it's so dependent on how much sleep you usually get, how used to driving you are.

Personally on that much sleep and that short a journey I wouldn't think anything other than cracking on.

I'm driving 180 miles after work this evening which I consider a medium length drive. I tried to go to bed earlier last night but failed. Wasn't woken up till 6.30 so not too bad. Probably 7 hours which is good, but could have been less. I'd still be going.

JazzTheDog · 13/12/2023 08:17

25 miles isn't far?

If I'd had no sleep and was exhausted I'd reconsider but otherwise that appears like an easy journey?

supersonicginandtonic · 13/12/2023 08:18

3 hours here and off to do the school runs and go to work. Your night sleep sounds a luxury 😂

Tessisme · 13/12/2023 08:20

I'm not a great sleeper at all. Even on the rare occasion when I get between 6 and 7 hours, it's not the best quality. But I am fully functional for days on end - until it catches up with me. I wouldn't even want to drive, let alone feel capable, when this happens. So, I would say that it might depend on whether this is a one-off, a pattern of a few nights or something more long term. Only you know how you feel.

WorkCleanRepeat · 13/12/2023 08:21

Only you know of you are too tired to drive.

I'd imagine most people would function perfectly well on that amount of sleep for one day as a one off though.

AnnaMagnani · 13/12/2023 08:22

25 miles! You've barely got in the car.

Honestly you know how tired you are and if you are safe but this is by no means a long journey.

MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel · 13/12/2023 08:24

I think everyone is being mean to the OP, telling her to "woman up".

OP, you're right. Tiredness kills when driving, but everyone's ability to drive on smaller amounts of sleep is different. Only you can tell if you'll be okay. I'd posset that you'll be okay on the way there, but possibly worse when driving back in which case caffeine, open windows and stopping if you need to is wise.

I used to drive 1000 miles a week when I came off maternity and often drove with minimal sleep. But I'm a lifelong insomniac so more used to it.

A few weeks back I only slept 1.45hrs and I was hanging. My work is only a few miles away, about 10 minites drive on a bad day. Was fine on the way there, but on the way home I was scared to blink as I was sure my eyes wouldn't open again. Thank god it was such a short drive!!

OP, if you really, genuinely think it's an issue then don't drive. Worst case scenario, you get in a wreck and kill someone else..

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