TROUBLE SLEEPING ON THE ROAD?

You have had a rough day on the road and you had trouble staying awake all day. When your shift is finally over you crawl into bed and..... you cannot fall asleep! A recent survey by Sleep Cycle shows that Americans have the lowest quality of sleep out of all participating countries. This week we are providing tips to help you get to sleep and stay asleep.

1. CUT OUT DIGTITAL LIGHT. There are multiple studies that show that looking at a digital screen within an hour of bed time, hurts your chances of falling and staying asleep. Turn off your screens and read a book to really help you fall asleep.

2. TAKING A NAP IS BAD! Despite how good you feel after a nap, naps can throw a serious wrench in your sleep schedule. If you are feeling drowsy, take a short walk or drink some cold water. These two things will boost your energy without harming your chances at a full nights rest.

3. A PILLOW CAN HELP REDUCE BACK PAIN. Placing a pillow between your knees can significantly reduce back pain throughout the night. Mid to lower back pain is one of the main reasons people cannot get to sleep, so without it you should have higher quality sleep. You can also check out this article for tips on how to reduce back pain in your everyday life.

4. EXERCISE REGULARLY. An exercise as simple as walking has been shown to decrease the time needed to fall asleep and increase the time you stay asleep. Try to exercise a few hours before bed time for the best results. Take a few laps around the truck stop or neighborhood and sleep better; That seems like a great trade off!

5. DO YOU NEED ANOTHER REASON TO QUIT SMOKING? Well here it is, the nicotine in cigarettes has been linked to sleep problems. A few days after you quit smoking, sleep should start to come easier to you.

6. DO YOU STRUGGLE WITH THINKING TOO MUCH AT NIGHT? When you lay your head down, do all your problems and tasks keep you up? Try writing everything down right before bed. Getting goals and issues out of your head and onto paper has been proven to help people fall asleep faster.

7. AVOID ALCOHOL RIGHT BEFORE BED. While alcohol might help you fall asleep quicker, you will have a more restless sleep. This causes people to be less rested in the morning.

8. CREATE NOISE IN THE BACKGROUND. A spinning fan or white noise can help drown out all exterior noise. It is also creates a constant noise that will help you stay undisturbed while you sleep.

9. DEEP BREATHING. Take deep breaths counting 4 seconds for the inhale and 4 seconds for the exhale. The counting allows you to lose sight of all thoughts keeping you awake and the breathing relaxes the body. This is an advanced version of counting sheep. It is a simple exercise that works wonders for people every night.

10. PUT YOUR CLOCKS AWAY. Having a clock you can see can add more stress to your night. You begin to focus on how much sleep you could be getting instead of actually falling asleep.

Well there you go truckers. Stay safe out on the road and use these tips to get some much deserved shut eye.

THANK YOU TO ALL THE TRUCKERS AND REMEMBER TO KEEP ON ROLLIN'

FINANCIAL CARRIER SERVICES, INC.

As always, feel free to reach out to see how our financing and factoring programs can help your trucking company grow. Our Contact Information can be found HERE.