The importance of sleep for professional drivers: The key to health and safety on the road

18 September 2024

How much sleep does a professional driver need?

For adults, 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night is recommended. Sleep of this length allows the body to fully recover, which is essential to maintain alertness and the ability to react quickly while driving. It is also important that sleep is uninterrupted, allowing you to go through all the phases of the sleep cycle, including REM (rapid eye movement phase), which is crucial for mental rest.

Sleep challenges for professional drivers

1. Irregular work schedules: Variable working hours, night shifts and long routes can disrupt the natural diurnal rhythm, making it difficult to fall asleep and wake up at consistent times.
2. Sleeping conditions: Falling asleep in the cabin of a truck or in unfamiliar surroundings can be a challenge. Noise, light and an uncomfortable bed often prevent a full night's sleep.
3. Stress and anxiety: Work-related stress, delivery deadlines and difficult road conditions can lead to sleep problems and frequent awakenings during the night.
4. Sleep disorders: Professional drivers often struggle with sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea, insomnia or restless legs syndrome. These conditions can significantly affect sleep quality and overall health.

How to improve the quality of sleep while on the road?

1. Create the right sleeping routines:
   • Comfortable bedding: Investing in a good quality mattress or sleeping mat, pillows and blankets can significantly improve your sleep comfort in the cabin.
   • Darkness and silence: Blackout curtains, a blindfold and earplugs or white noise generating devices can help to minimise the impact of light and noise.
   • Temperature control: Maintaining the right temperature in the cabin, using a fan, heater or air conditioner, promotes comfortable sleep.
2. Maintaining a regular sleep schedule:
   • Fixed bedtimes: Trying to maintain consistent times for falling asleep and waking up, even on days off, helps regulate the internal biological clock.
   • Naps: Short naps (20-30 minutes) can help increase alertness and energy without disrupting nighttime sleep.
3. Practising sleep hygiene:
   • Limiting time in front of a screen: Avoiding the use of blue-light emitting devices (phone, tablet, TV) one hour before bedtime so as not to disrupt melatonin production.
   • Avoiding heavy meals and stimulants: Limiting the intake of large meals, caffeine, nicotine and alcohol before bed, as these can make it difficult to fall asleep.
   • Relaxation techniques: Breathing exercises, meditation or reading before bed can help you calm down and prepare for sleep. For example, you can use what is known as white noise to help you fall asleep. Listen to white noise.
4. Healthy lifestyle:
   • Regular physical activity: Regular exercise improves the quality of sleep, as long as it is not done immediately before bedtime. You can find an example of a workout in our article here. 
   • Balanced diet: A diet rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains and protein promotes better sleep.

Recognition and treatment of sleep disorders

1. Recognition of symptoms: Symptoms such as excessive daytime sleepiness, loud snoring, shortness of breath during sleep and frequent awakening may indicate a sleep disorder.
2. Consultation with a doctor: You are encouraged to consult your doctor if a sleep disorder is suspected. Sleep studies and treatment, such as the use of CPAP machines for sleep apnoea, can significantly improve sleep quality and health.

Link between sleep and road safety

Data shows that driver sleepiness is one of the main risk factors for road accidents. In Poland, according to police reports, around 10% of all road accidents are caused by drivers being under the influence of fatigue or falling asleep at the wheel. 

Studies show that driving after 18-24 hours without sleep is comparable to driving under the influence of alcohol, with a blood alcohol level (BAC) of 0.05% to 0.1%. This means that a tired driver can be just as dangerous on the road as one under the influence of alcohol.

1. Decreased ability to react quickly - Drowsiness significantly slows down the driver's reaction time. In situations where a quick reaction can prevent an accident (e.g. sudden braking or avoiding an obstacle), a delayed reaction due to fatigue can lead to a collision.
2. Disturbed concentration - Fatigue causes difficulty in focusing on the road, which can lead to dangerous situations such as inadvertently drifting out of one's lane, overlooking traffic signs or failing to notice other vehicles.
3. Falling asleep at the wheel - In extreme cases, when a driver is extremely tired, microsleep - a brief episode of sleep lasting from a few seconds to a few tens of seconds - can occur. During a microsleep, the driver loses control of the vehicle, which can lead to serious accidents, especially on motorways or expressways.
4. Distorted perception - Drowsiness affects the driver's perception, which can lead to misjudgement of distance, speed of own vehicle and other road users. Fatigue can also cause difficulties in assessing the traffic situation, which increases the risk of making the wrong decision.

Key information from this article 

Sleep is crucial to the health and safety of professional drivers, affecting their alertness, responsiveness and overall performance behind the wheel.

The recommended amount of sleep is 7-9 hours per night, allowing the body to fully recover and maintain a high level of concentration.

Irregular work schedules, difficult sleeping conditions and stress are the main challenges that can disrupt drivers' sleep.

Creating the right conditions for sleeping in the cabin (comfortable bedding, darkness, silence, adequate temperature) can significantly improve sleep quality.

Maintaining a regular sleep schedule and practising sleep hygiene (avoiding screens, heavy meals before bed, relaxation) helps with sleep and improves sleep quality.

Recognising and treating sleep disorders, such as sleep apnoea or insomnia, is crucial for drivers' health and their ability to drive safely.

Drowsiness behind the wheel increases the risk of road accidents, reducing reaction time, concentration and decision-making ability.

Professional drivers should be aware of the risks of sleep deprivation and take steps to improve the quality of their sleep, which is crucial for their health and safety on the road.