ATLANTA - It's not unusual to start a long drive feeling rested and rejuvenated, only to find yourself getting sleepy just a short distance down the road.
Why does that happen?
11Alive's Why Guy talked to sleep experts who say the idea that boredom or disinterest is to blame is a myth.
"If you are bored and not sleepy, you'll just be bored," says Dr. Scott Leibowitz of Northside Hospital's Sleep Disorders Center.
Getting drowsy behind the wheel is more about putting yourself in a relaxed state. When you ease into the driver’s seat, you put yourself in a passive, sedentary position.
Sleep experts say your brain reads that as a time for some shut-eye.
"Sleepiness is generally expressed when engaged in passive, sedentary, meditative situations," says Dr. Leibowitz.
It’s the same when you open a good book. A lot of people read at bedtime in a relaxed position. Your body translates your state of repose as an effort to sleep.
Compounding all of that is the unfortunate fact that most Americans are sleep deprived and operating in bodies that are looking for any opportunity to doze off.
"We simply do not get enough sleep hours to maintain our effectiveness and alertness," says Dr. Murad Assaad of Northside Hospital. "The body incurs a sleep debt, and one must always pay back a debt."
On a sad note, the federal government reports 800 deaths a year from drowsy driving.
