New team drivers having trouble sleeping

[Michelle129]

My husband has been driving about 2 years now. Started out with a company doing local runs and was home every night in his own bed. This week he started with a new company doing team long hauls.
Luckily he's driving with our brother in law so he's enjoying the company, but can not sleep while the truck is moving to save his life. He LOVES to sleep and can pretty much sleep through a nuclear war...but has been unable to get any good sleep for their entire trip. Our brother in law is new to team driving as well and has also been unable to sleep while the truck is moving. So they have to waste time pulling over so they can both sleep at the same time. The noise isnt the issue but the bouncing/moving around keeps them up.
I feel really bad for them and wondered if any of you with more experience have any advice, tips, tricks that you've found?

Now I on the other hand am enjoying having the whole bed to myself!!! LOL just kidding, i'm not really that evil....

Michelle

[Roadhog]

Anytime you make big changes, it takes a while to adjust.
He will adjust. Part of it is mentally accepting the change.
If he grinds his teeth and acts put out and annoyed...
the old saying "life is what you make of it."

If he thinks positive and imagines maybe being aboard a ship at
sea, for instance, or whatever works for him, he will adapt more
quickly.

I myself imaging being rocked in a cradle.
I usually imagine a "binkie" is involved too. 8)

As for your problem...I hope you run out of batteries. :evil:

[Jackrabbit379]

roadhog, I'm still stuck on batteries. :|
I'm sure, I missed something, somewhere. :?

Like roadhog said, it will take time to adjust. Or, he could be like me, and not sleep while someone else is driving. I never could sleep when someone else drove. If it doesnt bother him to sleep when the other is driving, he will get used to it. I myself can probably sleep through a tornado. Well, it might not be good to say that. Around here, this time of year, could happen. :shock: If he can adjust to the different bumps, and stuff on the road, he will find himself asleep when he needs to. It may take some time, but once he gets adjusted, he will find himself sleeping when he needs to. Best of Luck to yall.

[madii'swife]

As for your problem...I hope you run out of batteries. :evil:

NOW who's being evil ?!?!!? Thats just wrong :shock: :P

[Roadhog]

roadhog, I'm still stuck on batteries. :|
I'm sure, I missed something, somewhere. :?

naw...no you don't Wabbit....yer baiting me in for a trap.

[Jackrabbit379]

:| :idea:
Yall will have to excuse me. I'm a little slow.
I got it. :?
Took a minute, but it's in the bank. :?

[Michelle129]

Thanks for the quick responses everyone He says he's doing ok and knows he'll eventually get used to it..or just get so tired he'll eventually crash. Im just worried that will be while he's at the
wheel They're being careful on their first few runs to pull over when they know they've both had enough. And said its sometimes easier to just sleep in the passenger seat..so I guess they'll make it.

I'll be sure to mention the cradle and binkie theory LOL

And by the way roadhog...don't you worry about me, I have rechargeables!

Thanks again

Michelle

[brian griffin]

I'm researching this very subject on an on-going basis:

I want to let you know that wal-mart sells a tempur-pedic knock off type mattress for about $230. This WILL do wonders for him and B.in .Law.

It's a queen size and may have to be cut down, but it's awesome for the price.

The second suggestion i might make is to slow down if the road gets bumpy. Even if they only go 55, it's still faster than a solo driiver going 75, because the truck is constantly moving.

More later as it comes to me.

[allan5oh]

What kind of truck is it?

[silvan]

Tell him to spend an hour before bed engaged in furious sexual activity. He'll sleep like a kitten, even if the truck is driving through one of the pothole states.

Only problem is with him away from you, his brother-in-law might not like this whole idea, since there's only one other person in the truck. :P

(Team driving sucks. I trained my replacement right before I was supposed to get that office promotion. Two men in an International 9200 with the 54" sleeper, working the same shifts, and having to sleep at the same time. I walked around a mall parking lot in Athens Georgia for eight hours trying to get tired enough to sleep, and it didn't work. I tried to sleep during the day while he drove between stops, and it didn't work. We tried to trade naps back and forth. He got a lot more sleep than I did, but he started getting tired on the drive home, and even though I hadn't slept a wink in 36 hours, I felt safer about me driving tired than him driving tired, so I ran another eight hours or something back to the house. It was so miserable I got sick enough to miss work for a few days. Purest hell. Makes me really respect what Navy SEALs go through, because in comparison to my little ordeal, they make me look like a total bag of weenie pus.)

[ben45750]

As for your problem...I hope you run out of batteries. :evil:

DAM, talk about line of the day!!!!!!!!!

Great line Roadhog!

[Ridge Runner]

When I ran a dedicated team run I could tell where we where just by our speed and the "bumps" in the road. I got so use to the bouncing around that it was hard to sleep in my own bed sometimes because it was too still.

[golfhobo]

I'm a light sleeper anyway, but I have no problem, now. When I first started, I needed some help to get to sleep, so I used Tylenol PM's. It relaxes your muscles a bit, and makes you just drowsy enough to sleep. I only take ONE (when needed.) Two makes me groggy the next day.

Also, make sure he's NOT drinking any coffee during the day. And, a glass of chocolate milk before bed will help, too.

[marcel27208]

[quote="silvan"]Tell him to spend an hour before bed engaged in furious sexual activity. He'll sleep like a kitten, even if the truck is driving through one of the pothole states.



Or, just a few minutes with his brother in law j/k

nothing like brotherly love!!!!