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This could easily be caused by sleep apnea. Left untreated, it can cause all kinds of other problems beyond fatigue. My dad had it and never treated it. He developed atrial fibrillation/ irregular heartbeat. That triggered a bunch of little strokes. By age 80, he had vascular dementia and was really senile. By age 84, he didn't know when I was. Something like 5% of men have apnea and it's almost never treated. If it's bad enough that driving 50 miles is a problem, a sleep study is a really good idea.
I still own a fast car or two. Open cutout, loaded with gauges, turbo boost, loud open wastegate under boost....
I don't feel fatigued in that thing at all, but it's not something I want my family to roll with me in. Reliability is usually lower in machines like this. It's the nature of the beast. Besides, can't go over 80 in this State without getting tossed in jail. I have no desire to go at high speeds with the family either.
Can you move away from rat-bag VA?
Your issue seems to me to be at least mostly psychological, but I am not a shrink, nor have I met you in person, so take that with a grain of salt.
You are now in your forties. It could be your health. Does walking up a flight of stairs leave you more winded than it did five years ago?
Or it could be this: You drive tense. You get aggravated at others doing stupid dangerous things on the road, putting you and your family in danger. The tension of driving like that is very tiring. Welcome to responsible thinking.
I'm in my sixties. The degree of concentration required numbs the mind after eight hours of driving.
Thread moved from Automotive to Health & Wellness.
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I'm 74 and I drive at least an hour each way to work. Doesn't bother or tire me. I play music I like. I agree with all the other suggestions: to have a sleep study done, play music you like, have a drink in the car with you, try audiobooks, etc. But I would start with the sleep study.
Do you snore? All snoring is abnormal. We snore for one of three reasons: we have a stuffed up nose, a deviated septum, or a sleep disorder.
I didn't know where else to post it, so I'll post it here.
When I was 20, I drove long distances without stopping. I drove from ~Miami to ~DC in less than 14 hours at over 100 mph for the entire distance.
I did so when the roads were emptier in loud sports cars with open exhausts. Gauges were abundant, music was obnoxious (if I could even hear it).
I topped out many a car on the open highway as well.
Then divorce struck and I had no money. I once had to drive from ~Miami to Franconia Notch, New Hampshire non-stop in a $200 car.
I was about 27 years old then.
Even since I took that trip, I can't drive more than 50 miles without becoming severely tired.
I am now in my early 40's and faced with a situation where I must drive my family 170 miles/3 hours each direction once a week between residences. I do so at or below the speed limit since I am with my family and the laws are extremely strict in Virginia.
I feel completely fatigued after about 45 minutes and think that my driving habits when I was young along with that trip to NH did me in for life.
No amount of Coffee, Monster Drinks, or anything else help. All they force me to do is use the bathroom all the time even if I take a sip or two due to the diuretics.
My father is almost 80 and he doesn't suffer these issues on road trips. Then again, he drove at or below the speed limit his whole life.
This is probably a health or psychological issue at this point, but I'd like some thoughts on how to hear from other drivers.
Concern trolling is welcome as long as I get some helpful posts. I had a good time when I was young and never hurt anyone. I am far more dangerous with my decade old perfect sheeple type driving record on the open road with my inability to keep awake these days.
Thank you.
Your onset of this seems to be related to what must have been a very traumatic situation. I wonder if you have some sort of PTSD type thing going on, so every trip starts you on a stress overload.
Talk to your Dr., but also mention this situation and when your driving reaction started.
Have you tried listening to audio books. I used to have to drive a lot, and a good audio book made the time fly by. Library's have lots of audio books to borrow, on lots of subjects.
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