How Do Truck Drivers Sleep? Best Tips for Rest on the Road
While sleeping in a semi-truck is a way of life for an over-the-road truck driver, irregular schedules, long hours on the road, and unfamiliar sleeping environments can make sleep difficult to come by. Drivers have dealt with the issue for as long as we’ve had sleeper cabs, so there are some great solutions on how to work with everything from the noisy parking lots to a truck stop’s bright lights. You can sleep better in your semi-truck by following a few key strategies!
Make Your Sleeper Cabin Comfortable
It’s common for drivers to want to invest in the best gear for the job, so make sure that attitude extends to your sleeper cab! Upgrading your pillows and bedding, adding a blackout curtain, or investing in a good pair of earplugs and an eye mask will help with those busier overnight stops, and help you stay asleep longer. Check out these items on Amazon that you can use to improve your sleep. These also make great gifts for any truck drivers in your life!
Regular Exercise
Exercising can promote better sleep by reducing bodily stress and using up stored energy. A light workout in the evening can help to shake off the day’s activities and tire out your body. Make sure to complete your activity at least one hour before bed to ensure a deep, restful sleep
Use Caffeine Sparingly
If you need a boost in the mornings, a cup of coffee will usually do the trick. However, caffeine should never be relied on to compensate for improper sleep, and can actually harm your sleep schedule in the long run. Avoid consuming over 400 milligrams of caffeine in a day, and for the best night’s sleep, don’t consume any caffeine for 8 hours before you go to sleep. You can learn more about the effects of caffeine on your sleep cycle from the Sleep Foundation.
Limit Your Screen Time
You’ve heard time and time again that blue light emitted by phones, tablets, and laptops can disrupt your natural sleep-wake cycle. Avoid the screen for 30 minutes to 1 hour before bed and take the opportunity to wind down physically and mentally – away from screens.
Prioritize Your Sleep
At the end of the day, recognizing the importance of sleep helps to maintain your physical and mental health. Setting up a non-negotiable routine can be hard, especially when adhering to specific hours of service regulations. However, setting a time for yourself to hit the hay every night will benefit you far more the next morning.
Inside a Truck Sleeper
If you are curious about where a Melton truck driver sleeps, check out this full video tour of the inside of our Kenworth T680 sleeper truck, or view our equipment page to learn more about the specs of our late-model trucks.
Getting good sleep is an essential part of your truck driving job and helps to support you everywhere else in your work; a fatigued driver is an unsafe driver. Remember that better sleep is not just a luxury, but a critical investment in your health that can reduce fatigue and improve your quality of life.