Falling Asleep while driving?

[Billydude]

I started noticing a couple of years ago that I would fall asleep for a second while driving.  It escalated to a point that on a weekly long trip I needed to take that I would start falling asleep at the wheel many times and have had many close calls.    I finally had to give up on driving this trip and had to hire someone to drive me.   I don't believe I have sleep apnea as I sleep well, don't snore and get a full nights sleep.   This falling asleep at the wheel can happen at any time of the day.
Is there a medical reason for this?    I also have severe neck degeneration.  Could sometime be cutting off oxygen to my brain when I'm in this position?    I don't fall asleep at other times.  Just while I am driving.

[Jules77733]

That's great to hear! I'm glad the problem was discovered and fixed.

For everyone else's sake, narcolepsy doesn't always show up in an MSLT, and it can take several MSLTs before it will rear its ugly head. This may be due to the progression of the disease (i.e. since it tends to worsen with time, the likelihood it appears in study results increases), or a person's physiology (i.e. there are varying degrees of the disease).

Falling asleep at the wheel can be due to any number of things, however, including medications, sleep disorders, other illness (like CFS), and sleep deprivation.

[soprano14]

My great uncle used to have a huge problem with falling asleep at the wheel (he even wrecked on several occasions). He ended up finding out that his problems were due to medicines he was taking for other health problems. Are you on any medications?

[soprano14]

My great uncle used to have a huge problem with falling asleep at the wheel (he even wrecked on several occasions). He ended up finding out that his problems were due to medicines he was taking for other health problems. Are you on any medications?

[Dozer1970]

What works for me ... I am also prone to drowziness and micro sleeps while driving even in the morning and on short trips and through the years have had a number of near misses ... once in Western NSW I almost went head on into a semi trailer, then years later in England went off the road into a hedge one night narrowly missing a power pole...then later again I would repeatedly doze off in Perth on a 15min trip home after a 12hr shift in a factory where I worked for 18months( Slapping, Pinching myself, spraying myself with cold water, singing dancing in my seat!)   I am a 40 yr old guy and drive a lot now for work on country roads.  I have recently discovered that the No Doz caffeine tablets work wonders for me and wish I had discovered them earlier. Those big iced coffee drinks are also good and there is one with Double Shot  Guarana but these are very high in fat and sugar and price!  And what do you do in between Service Stations.  On reading the other posts perhaps this won't work for everybody.  Driving Tired is Deadly,  and kills more people than drink driving and is just as irresponsible in my opinion.  I now never go on a half hour plus drive without having these caffeine tablets in my top pocket.  
For those who don't respond to Caffeine like I do, I really hope you find a solution but till then Please Please Please continue to be careful on our roads. Good Luck

[marcusleong]

I'm also facing the same problem.Last year, i went to do a minor operation called 'sinus',but, doesn't improve,still the same.

[bonijokrauss]

Please read the post that I just posted to Billydude and respond. Thank you.