Why Do Some Of Us Feel Extremely Sleepy While Commuting?

Have you ever wondered why you feel sleepy while commuting via a car, bus, or train? Even if you've had a good sleep just before starting your journey, you will start yawning soon after your journey begins. Many of us feel sleepy and experience road drowsiness even when we promise ourselves to be awake and end up snoring before half the journey is complete.

When this is a common experience, the question is what leads to this road drowsiness? What makes you fall asleep so hard while commuting, whether it is in public transport or your personal vehicle trip? To find the answers to these questions, the editorial team of Onlymyhealth spoke to Dr Basavaraj S. Kumbar, Consultant - Internal Medicine, Aster Whitefield Hospital, Bengaluru. Read ahead to know what he shared:

Why Do We Feel Sleepy While Travelling?

Reports suggest that whether you are in a passenger seat or driving your own, feeling drowsy while travelling is common. However, feeling sleepy while being in the driver's seat accounts for a considerable number of accidents.

Explaining why many people usually get drowsy while commuting, Dr Basavaraj Kumbar stated, “Because the surroundings are quite tranquil and thus tend to lower their alertness. The mild movement, the continuous but not very loud sound, lack of stimulation, and the fact that one sits passively, all these signal to the brain that everything is safe and comfortable, and therefore, its arousal level is decreased and it becomes more likely to get into a sleepy state.”

Factors That Contribute to Road Drowsiness While Commuting

Dr Kumbar shared that feeling sleepy while commuting is the result of a combination of multiple factors, which include psychological reactions, medical factors, and environmental factors.

“Sleepiness while travelling is caused by the body's physiological reactions, environmental factors, and the person's state of tiredness. Medically, the body calms down and prepares for sleep in response to the soothing conditions,” he continued. To help you understand the science behind it, Dr Kumbar shared the contributing factors of your road drowsiness as mentioned below:
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Rhythmic Motion

Dr Kumbar explained that the repetitiveness of motion, such as the back-and-forth sway of a train or the vibration of a car, affects the vestibular system located in the inner ear. This system is connected to the brain areas that deal with relaxation, and the movement that it receives is similar to the one that infants use to calm them down. Therefore, it makes the person relaxed and unconsciously prepares the body for sleep.

White Noise

White noise, or a continuous sound of a machine, limits the sensory input that the brain needs to process. Dr Kumbar emphasised that because the sound is regular and not startling, the brain does not keep alert, but rather moves to a relaxed state, and thus it becomes easier to sleep.

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Pre-Existing Tiredness

Pre-existing sleep deprivation will be unmasked by the silence and lack of stimulation of the travelling environment, thus making the effect of the accumulated fatigue even stronger. “The moment the body goes still, the sleep pressure becomes more difficult to resist, thus drowsiness occurs almost instantly,” Dr Kumbar stated.

Lack of Natural Light

Natural light is an essential factor in maintaining one's circadian rhythm. When it is dark, the brain starts producing more melatonin, the hormone that is responsible for the feeling of tiredness. Dr Kumbar also underlined that travelling in the early morning or late evening hours or even inside a dark cabin causes one to be less alert because the brain interprets it as a signal to relax.

Monotony

Dr Kumbar said, “When the brain is not stimulated much, it will lower its level of alertness by itself.” Monotonous travelling through the same view or without interaction leads to the brain being inactive, and thus, it feels like sleeping is the easiest thing to do.

Constrained Posture

Being in one position for a long period restricts one's movement, slows down blood circulation, and causes the muscles to stiffen. Although discomfort doesn't directly bring about sleep, it facilitates the general feeling of lethargy and reduces physical energy, thereby making the body heavier and more susceptible to drowsiness.

Does This Happen With Everyone?

Not every person experiences drowsiness while travelling, but it is a common thing. One should only identify it as a problem if they are in the driver’s seat or miss an important turn from the GPS. “People who have had enough sleep are naturally more alert or mentally engaged, and can easily stay awake,” Dr Kumbar added. Those who are tired, suffer from motion sickness, or are used to taking naps while travelling will probably feel sleepy more often. Each person's sleep habits, stress level, and sensitivity to stimuli also determine how they react to the travel environment.

How to Avoid Falling Asleep While Travelling?

Here are a few tips shared by Dr Kumbar to stay alert while travelling and avoid sleep:

• Keep Brain Busy: One can alleviate travel tiredness if they get their body ready for the journey and keep the brain busy. One can keep the brain engaged through music, talking, listening to podcasts, or doing light tasks.
• Get Enough Sleep: Prior sleep of good quality is the best way to avoid being utterly fatigued during the commute.
• Get Natural Light: Exposure to natural light before a trip encourages more wakefulness.
• Stay Active: Besides the right seating posture, stretching before the trip or while on a break, drinking plenty of water, and getting fresh air can all do wonders for one's blood flow and energy levels.
• Consume Tea or Coffee: Caffeine is considered a good way to keep sleep away. If you are very tired, you can consume a small amount of coffee or tea in any form.

Bottomline

No matter how hard you try, does your head keep falling because of sleep while commuting by car, bus, or train? This is a common phenomenon worldwide that people feel sleepy while on the wheel. Many reasons can make you sleepy on the go, but if you want to enjoy the journey in alert mode, a good tea or coffee, sufficient sleep before the journey, and getting natural light might help you deal with this.