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

[chessica]

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?

I would drive in an urban environment (which is lucky as I live in London) but would definitely think twice about driving on long stretches of fast moving roads like motorways or dual carriageways where the monotony of it is known to be a killer.

No, all the people who think 25 miles is "so far" explains all the bad drivers on the road.

I've just done a 184 mile round trip for work on 5 hours sleep. You'll be fine.

Tiredness is a factor in up to 20% of accidents. Accidents caused by driver falling asleep tend to be at higher speeds and are more likely to kill or severely injure someone

ROSPA article

Why does an arbitrary judgement on near v far dictate what sort of a driver you are? Crazy thing to say.

For goodness sake... 🙄

It really relates to how central sleep is to your ability to function with every day life. Driving, work, sick children, shopping, cooking are all things that many, many people do without enough sleep.

Yes, tiredness is a factor in some accidents as are many other things too, including, sadly, just being young and inexperienced.

If you really feel too tired to drive (only) 25 miles then don't. Maybe consider giving up driving altogether or as a very rare event, probably needing an assessment every year or two to ensure you have retained enough driving ability to safely drive at all.

Are you worried that you are too tired to concentrate as you would normally, or that you are so tired you would fall asleep at the wheel?

For me, the first is a worry, but easily solved by a bit of exercise and a coffee. The second isn’t something I’m worried about as I have a lot of control over when I sleep and I have never fallen asleep in any situation, ever, without a conscious decision to go to sleep - even when chronically sleep deprived, sick, drunk, or all three.

But I wouldn’t be concerned by four hours and 25 miles, or any distance really, if you are I’d build in some time for exercise before your journey.

When my 1st child was a baby there was a night before work when I basically didn't sleep. I don't think work would be too impressed with me not going in so I drove 20 odd miles there and back.
Also driven home from holiday on no sleep and being up nearly 24 hours, that was a lot more than 25 miles.

25 miles each way isnt a lot 😐

I have a 25 mile commute on no sleep after a 13 hour night shift. And then I drive back to work for another night shift on about 3/4 hours sleep

As previous poster said. Women up,

You do know that not everyone is the same don't you? Or do you genuinely think that if one person can manage on no sleep then every other person on the planet should be able to?

but if the Op is someone that struggles on less than her usual unbroken nights sleep… probably best she doesn’t have a job that involves lots of driving 🤷‍♀️

Another one loving the competitive tiredness/look how long my commute is ya big wuss, type comments

What is it people don't get about tiredness being relative? It's not a bloody competition. It's possible to tell OP that yes, I'd be ok but only you know how you feel without berating her for perceived weakness.

Especially at this time of year I wish more people would, CAVEAT - when their day and activities allow this consideration - stop and think are they safe to drive. That's a positive thing surely?

Yikes this thread explains the poor driving and accident rates due to tiredness. It matters not a jot if others are surviving on 1hr a night if you get into an accident due to this.

Not a popular opinion but I don’t care about what other people would do. How tired do you feel? Can you concentrate? If the answer is ‘very tired and no’ then I would not drive!

Yes.... thats kinda my point

I thought you were going to say like a 250 mile round trip or something.

One night of sleep albeit poor, I'd fuel up, caffeinate, and crack on. I've had to have a full day on no sleep whatsoever more than once; it's not the most fun you can have, but it's doable. When we get into weeks of bad sleep, that's a different ballgame.

really? because looks to me like your point was - everyone has different sleep needs

whereas my point is - the OP shouldn’t have a job that involves lots of driving if she struggles without an unbroken night sleep

i have just reread all the Op comments and not once does she say she actually feels tired!

I genuinely doing understand the macho-type posturing on this thread??

People telling the OP she should give up driving because she's concerned about sleeping while sleep deprived??

For real??