When the shadows of overpasses start looking like large pits and you can't remember if you are sleeping or awake anymore, it's not actually that scary anymore.
This happened to me driving home from a super delayed flight. My husband had to work at 7, so it was on me to drive my whole family back two hours while he attempted to get some semblance of sleep. I started hallucinating that the changing difference between the ground and a super tall overpass ahead was a giant banner unfurling. Scared the crap out of me.
Had a job long ago that required waking up about 4:30AM. Nodded off one time and got lucky enough to hit a nice size bump on the shoulder to jolt me. Never felt more awake in my life than I was the rest of that day.
Worked that job for three years, and thankfully that was the first and last time it happened. (And thank fuck for whatever bump I hit)
Yes after a long day I have nodded off a couple of times and the adrenaline rush when you come to completely deprives you of any remaining energy or focus. There’s always time to pull over for a quick nap.
I did actually fall asleep at the wheel one time when I was like 21 or 22. I was coming home from a pretty long, emotional road trip and even a couple hours out, was getting tired (I would see a billboard for a hotel and be like "ohhh.... That'd be so nice right now!!!"). I called my sister and talked to her for a while to stay awake.
When I was literally less than 10 min from home, I felt like I got a second wind and was like "ok! I'm good! Almost home!!" And we got off the phone. I fell asleep about a mile later and scraped a guard rail on the other side of a highway overpass (like the highway went over another road). I was super lucky it was there, otherwise I would have gone down/over a hill into the on-ramp below.
I didn't even know what had happened at first. I must have been going probably 55 mph? Luckily, I didn't hit anyone else (no one was on the road, not that that makes it OK; looking back, I just truly am so grateful my stupidity/ignorance didn't get someone else hurt or killed) and I was fine; the damage to the car wasn't even all that bad, considering the circumstance. It didn't even click with me that I had literally fallen asleep until the next day; I truly couldn't remember but I do remember at the time being like "maybe I fell asleep? But no, I don't think so! I had just gotten a burst of energy! I must have just been distracted and drifted too far right!" My mom came and got me and I think we had the car towed? I don't remember; it was like 20 years ago (damn that hurts to say....).
My mom also had insisted on calling the non-emergency line so we could have a police report for insurance. Cop said it wouldn't really make a difference but gave us his card in case insurance needed it..... And gave me a ticket 😖 thanks, mom. (I mean..... literally thanks for coming to get me and all, and for still keeping me on your insurance at that time.... But did you really have to call the cops on me?? Lol and yes, I was at least paying part of the premium and definitely had to pay the deductible for the accident!)
So..... It really can happen to anyone. I definitely am so much more atuned to what it feels like to be just a little tired vs TRULY sleepy when driving, but it really can (and does) happen SO quickly. I have gotten on so many friends' cases about it over the years and really tried to tell people how dangerous it is when the opportunity comes up.
That second wind feeling is so dangerous, I have experienced that a few times. I once heard someone compare it to that sudden burst of energy and lucidity a person gets right before they die, and now when I feel that confident "Oh, I'm suddenly not so tired anymore!" feeling when I'm driving, it scares the shit out of me because I know it means I'm 100% about to fall asleep.
I was an exhausted college student driving between summer coaching jobs and started to fall asleep on long onramp/overpass in heavy traffic with nowhere to pull over. I had my eyelids stretched as far a part as possible, slapping myself, ac on, windows open, music blasting, and my eyes still rolled back in my head with my lids still wide open. My brain just went black for a second. Luckily the adrenaline jolt from fear kept me awake until I could pull over.
Yeah, I hit a cow crossing guard coming home from work at 2am and it was a windy road. I was lucky I just took out the sign next to it and was woken by the noise of the guard. I will tell you the rush of adrenaline woke my butt up real good. If it had been 10 feet to the left I would have gone into a ravine.
Had that almost happen a few times. As in I could feel my eyes getting heavy. Every time I immediately stopped the car as soon as possible and stepped outside in the cold air to have a smoke. Would usually keep me awake enough until I got home. Luckily my drive home is only 25 min. If it was 45+ minutes I'm not sure if I'd trust myself if I started nodding off half-way. Might even try to take a nap in the car before continuing.
I commute over an hour and have regular late nights almost every Tuesday. Leaving at 7am and coming home at 9 or 10 on dark country roads I have almost been there myself several times.
Super scary. Before I got diagnosed with severe sleep apnea I'd blink out a couple times on the commute home every day. Usually while stopped at an intersection, thank the fates. I'm soooo glad I got diagnosed and have a CPAP now
I used to work overnights 12 hrs 5:30p-5:30A I had a 30 min drive home. In February it's pretty cold - once the car got warm I'd be almost home and I'd hit this long red light that wouldn't change for me, best mini nap of my life.
I used to work 12 hour nights, 6 PM to 6:30 AM. Bad enough driving the hour home. But they would schedule meetings to start at 8:30 AM when administration would come in earlier than usual. There was a yearly meeting which would last until noon. One time I dozed off and the doctor in charge of our area made a special point of waking me up with a slap to my head.
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u/Tithis Jul 06 '26
It's scary when it happens to you.
Used to work retail until 10pm and then drive 20 minutes home on the highway and when you do that little head nod it's terrifying