Your Biological Clock and Driver Tiredness

What's Your Biological Time?

Your biological clock tells you when it's lunch time, gives you pep at certain times of day, and affects your body temperature. Most people's clocks run on a daily rhythm of approximately 24 hours. But what "time" it is differs from person to person. "Morning people" feel most alert in the early part of the day, while "night people" enjoy staying up late. Many teenagers and young people have clocks that make it easy to stay up late and sleep late. As people get older, they tend to wake up earlier and go to bed early.

Almost everyone's clock is programmed to make them feel sleepy in the middle of the afternoon and this can be a dangerous time. Many fatigue-related collisions happen between one and four p.m., during the "afternoon lull."

Night time is especially risky for drivers. Most people are programmed to sleep when it's dark, and sleep becomes irresistible late at night. Avoid driving during the "low" period between 2 and 6 a.m.

To be a safer driver, become aware of your own biological clock. What times of day do you feel most alert? What times do you feel most drowsy? Once you are aware of your personal cycle, you can take extra care when you're likely to feel sleepy.