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I think your family is too boring. You need to cause some drama, and start playing more cell phone games to keep your mind working.
In all seriousness I have done probably about 50-60 1,000+ mile straight through drives. I almost always have to start using a 5hr energy during or after the second tank. My guess would be; you were used to having a good enjoyable time on the drives and having to stay alert when driving fast to be aware of your surroundings and to avoid the cops. Then you went on this really long and boring drive that didn't REQUIRE you to use as much energy and it sucked. Now you are subconsciously relating all long drives to be being boring too if you don't have any high-speed excitement. I get you don't want to speed with the family, but if you don't want to do that, I think you need to find a way to make the drive more enjoyable, more interactive.
Just to throw some ideas out there;
not sure if you are willing to make your car wild looking to interact with other drivers.
play games with the kids (not sure how old they are); I spy, license plate spotting, or when I was younger we used to start with a letter and each person would add a letter so that it COULD spell a word, but if you spelled a word, you lose. Each person would get 1/3 every time they spelled a word and we called it "3 thirds of a ghost".
If you listen to music, make sure you get some stuff that really rocks you out. If you are listening to all kids music get a song or two of your own in there, or get a playlist somehow. If your stereo doesn't have the option for a usb input (for a usb drive loaded with music), or some other satellite radio, it sounds like it would be worth investing in one for that much driving.
Lol, I'll let them know you said that. They actually do all kinds of stuff to keep me awake. Thanks for the other suggestions.
I am 66 and I drive 2k plus miles (pretty well straight through) several times a year, and my biggest problem is I so hate the trip now (back and forth the between the same two places so not much to excite me) that getting started is an issue (I can look out the window and see a bit of morning dew and decide that manana is a better day to hit the road .. which I never used to do when I was young) - and I do have to stop more often to ensure my legs don't swell.
I used to get in my car and take off driving 4k miles without stopping except for gas/bathroom when I was young. We slow down over the years or perhaps we just get a bit smarter.
That said, have you had your eyes checked lately? The older I get the more driving in bad weather or late at night (especially in rain or snow) is a problem for me and tires me out (due to halos/glare most likely that cause me to have to concentrate even more than normal).
Excessive traffic around cities, heavy traffic (I totally avoid going near the NYC metropolis any more for instance - I drive hundreds of miles out of my way to stay on sane, calmer roads) or bad hilly, windy roads also wear on me.
Regardless .. I can still usually do more than the mileage you mentioned without feeling 'fatigued' per se. The sleep study others mentioned might indeed also be a good thing to check out. I hope you find your answer soon.
My eyes have stabilized over the years...I was severely near sighted. Now I do find that I have moved my head about a foot or so from the head rest. I get dizzy if I take my eyes off the road for even a split second as well. Doesn't seem to matter during city driving.
That's definitely not normal. I'm in my early 40s and I drive across the country regularly without even getting tired (staying in hotels at night, obviously). I'm thinking it could be something with your sleep. I do think that level of fatigue is not normal at all.
The carbon monoxide thing was a great observation. I know someone who had a small exhaust leak in the engine compartment before the catalytic converters, and it caused him to get really tired in only a matter of minutes.
Edit: Just noticed that it happens on multiple cars, so that's probably not it.
Another thing is, maybe it's boredom or some psychological disconnection with what's going on. For example, when the aircraft is taxiing out for takeoff, I'm already halfway out. I don't know what it is, but something about sitting on a plane puts me to sleep almost instantly.
Do you fall asleep when you sit around the house if you aren't doing anything? Maybe driving just doesn't engage you enough to keep you awake.
Yep, I sure feel bored to death when at work too or waiting for a computer to boot or run a process or an update. My eyes start crossing.
I get fatigued driving a car with super comfy seats, automatic, and soft suspension. When I switch over to a manual shifter, sports suspension, and over 300HP I'm instantly engaged and never fatigued.
That is me to a degree....but not being able to use that power puts me to sleep.
Be VERY careful when selecting a sleep doctor. Many of them are invested in sleep clinics.
A buddy of mine, a CDL driver, was sent for a sleep study by the DOT physical doctor. He walked into the place and while waiting at the counter, he noticed a CPAP machine on the floor with his name on it...it seems he failed the test before he took it!
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.
I wish that I could, and I have to a degree....by commuting between VA and PA every weekend. Rat-bag VA omg. Actually this drive is rural. I don't feel exhausted on 95/495...too much stimulation...but too much traffic.
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.
I am in better physical health now than I was 15 years ago. Not winded going up a flight of stairs. Maybe I do drive too tense.
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