Ever fallen asleep while riding?

[Rincewind]

Sleeping while riding - ever happen to you?  I have nodded off quite a few times, but only for a moment.  Rain, slab, and after-meal riding are the most dangerous times for me.  I usually try to pull over and do something to wake myself up and get back in control.  

I used to sleep on the back of my dad's bike when I was young.  Then when riding with him recently, on slab, after hours of rain, I nodded off again.  My sense of balance woke me back up right away.  After pulling over I said what happened, and he (a long-time rider) seemed to react like that never has happened to him.

[sammyseaman]

Excellent poll. One of the reasons I avoid the slab as much as possible is I can hardly stay awake on them. I get the same way when mowing large lawns and when I'd have to disc the field as a kid. It's weird because I've never been the napping type. How anybody can do an Ironbutt without serious drugs is beyond me  

[miles]

Following tail lights makes me sleepy.

[gregm784]

Sleeping while riding - ever happen to you?  I have nodded off quite a few times, but only for a moment.  Rain, slab, and after-meal riding are the most dangerous times for me.  I usually try to pull over and do something to wake myself up and get back in control.  

I used to sleep on the back of my dad's bike when I was young.  Then when riding with him recently, on slab, after hours of rain, I nodded off again.  My sense of balance woke me back up right away.  After pulling over I said what happened, and he (a long-time rider) seemed to react like that never has happened to him.

I used to fall asleep on my dad's bike when i was kid too.  hehe

I've only done it a few times.  When i'm riding two up my other half can see me getting tired and either has me pull over or punches me in the kidneys a few times.

[FiremanBob]

The trick to overcoming the boredom of slab riding is to go fast enough to make it interesting.

[stromgal]

Yeah, it happens occasionally. I once dreamed that there was a passenger on my bike who had just fallen off.... boy did that wake me with a start.

[sammyseaman]

The trick to overcoming the boredom of slab riding is to go fast enough to make it interesting.

Yeah, but I ride a Thruxton......  

[Rincewind]

Yeah, it happens occasionally. I once dreamed that there was a passenger on my bike who had just fallen off.... boy did that wake me with a start.

Maybe I should make a Hallucinations While Riding poll next.

[JReazor]

  I've ridden while sleepy but I've never actually fallen asleep. That seems like the kind of thing you'd only do once.

[stealth1]

Most people who have fallen asleep while riding will be unable to respond to this poll.

[bluepoof]

I started nodding off on the first day of my 6 week trip in 2008. I had to pull to the side of Highway 25, only about 75 miles from home, and nap under a tree until I could keep my eyes open again.  That was the worst I've had.

[919]

I rode through the night one time on slab and as the sun was coming up I had to squint, with my eyes almost shut squinting I could feel them get really heavy.  My brain started justifying closing them just for a minute.

That's when I knew it was time to stop, I slept around back of a Mobil station with the camera aimed at me and the bike for a sense of security.  Woke up a couple hours later and rode on for another 5 hours or so to home.

[DNA]

On several LD rides or in Rallies - I have had issues in the 12-4 am time and puled off before I nodded off.

Last time, my 20 minute cat nap lasted over an hour so i was really exhausted.

Leaning to manage fatigue and sleep is key to LD rallies.

[jfusaro]

fall asleep while riding, are you freakin crazy

[TriumphTiger1050]

Nope.  I have been in my zone alot but conscience to my surroundings

[steve.ski]

Long ago coming home from my GFs house on my GSXR750, I dozed off for a bit lying down on the tank bag on the 55 freeway coming up on the 405. It was wee morning hours, kinda cold, I was tired and when I woke up it seemed that I was going to hit the back of the car in front of me. Maybe it was kind of a hallucination, I don't know. Anyway, it scared the sheet out of me, and then when I get home I could not fall asleep from the adrenaline rush.

Since then, a couple times I've stopped and found a park bench to nap on.

[Phenix_Rider]

I rode through the night one time on slab and as the sun was coming up I had to squint, with my eyes almost shut squinting I could feel them get really heavy.  My brain started justifying closing them just for a minute.

Yep.  I get that from time to time when driving, and once while riding.  That "justifying" is automatic and in the background.  I get mad and start yelling at myself when it happens  At least until I can find somewhere safe to stop and take a break.  Only happens when I'm really dragging ass.  If I'm actually ok, I can drive 10-12 hours without stopping except for fuel.  If it's been a bad week, watch out.

[darkstarmoto]

I fell asleep once while driving home around 2AM in my Blazer when I was 19 (lifted on 42's..tire noise put me out)...drifted to the side and basically jumped a guard rail which threw me right back out to the center lane and nearly gave me a heart attack. I was scared out of my mind ( nearly in tears kinda scared). Drove up and down that same strip of road for better than a 1/2 hour making sure I hadn't hit anything else.

I have never put myself in a situation that would cause that to happen again especially while riding. I'll pull off at the 1st signs of feeling drowsy and do something to get my heart rate up and feel wide wake again. If that doesn't work I'll try to grab a quick nap. Avoid big meals while you're out...never fails to make the eyelids feel heavy. I also avoid riding in severe heat if I can...really puts a hurting on ya.

[MK96xj]

Yes, I have fallen asleep and came to what seemed like a 1/4 mile later.  

You start dancing and shaking and singing loudly just to avoid it again. That time I was only a few miles from home.

The last time was my iron butt where I would start dozing right about the time I needed gas. Some jumping jacks, a caffinated drink and I was good to go for another 250miles.

[DRam]

I marked awakened by rumble strips, but it was really the gravel shoulder.  I'd put in three 20-hour days finishing a term paper.  At three AM Monday morning it was finished.  I showered, geared up, kissed the wife goodbye and headed out on a 130 mile ride to school and an 8:00 AM class.  Eighty miles later the bike started bouncing and wobbling.  I still think it was divine intervention that kept the bike right side up until it got slowed down enough to make it back onto pavement.

It was really irritating when the professor decided to extend the deadline because only two or three of us finished on time.  On the other hand, it was the only A+ I ever received.

[Fourstring]

I had a couple of trips where I had to make time after work, so I'd slam a Monster or Red Bull at 7pm and ride all night, bouncing around and singing in my helmet at 1am in 20 degree weather.  The truckers would make fun of me at all the rest stops.


Good lord, I was a dumbass.

[Playinthestreet]

More than once...

[Orson]

When I wuz 18, I rode from Odessa, Tx. to Tucson, Az on I-10.

About 675 miles in 12 hours. The last 100 miles or so were pretty tough and I wuz nodding off.

Pretty much broke me from ever wanting to be an iron butt rider  

[Guy]

I fell asleep, or suffered white line fever (self-hypnosis) on my way back from the 06(?) Nat'l in WV. I had been having the drowsies for a bit, and pulled over at a gas station to recharge and change into some cooler clothes. That worked for about 15 minutes, then the heavy eyes started all over again. At one point I was about a mile behind a car, blinked, and was 100 ft behind them. Not sure if I was asleep, but definitely not aware of the passing miles. Pulled over at the rest area that happened to be right there, leaned back against a tree, had a Mt Dew and a smoke. Was fine for the next 4 hrs of slab with no traces of feeling tired.

[Computer Guy]

No, never.  Since I only ride for enjoyment, I will only ride when I am at 100%, both physically and mentally.
   
When my daughter was a teenager she would love when I would take her for rides.
Once when I stopped and turned around I found that she was asleep.  I asked her about it and she told me that she usually falls asleep when riding on the back of my motorcycle.  I have not taken her riding since.

[joelmikel]

I fell asleep once driving my car home from work(70 mile commute each way).... don't know how far I drove between the time I fell asleep
and the time I woke up but I crossed over 4 lanes of traffic and most of the right most rumble strip before I woke.
Never even let myself get tired again behind the wheel.
Never fallen asleep on a motorcycle... never even got close.

[kevin_stevens]

I struggle with getting sleepy in a car all the time, but it's never been a problem on the bike.  Don't know why, on long trips I'm laid out over the tank and certainly relaxed enough.

KeS

[Mr.Black]

I keep some sort of sugar, jelly beans, starbursts etc. in my tankbag and get a sugar zip if my eyes start getting heavy. Slab sucks. Rain? You nutz? I am very aware in the rain.

[APEowner]

In a little over a million miles of driving 4 wheeled vehicles I've never nodded off.  I've always been smart enough to stop before that happened.  Somehow I'm dumber on the bike.  The stock car driver, Ken Schrader claims that there's something about putting on a helmet that make drivers dumber (and crazy).  Perhaps that works on motorcyclists as well.  In any case I, I fell asleep late one night on the NYS thruway.  I was riding along all by myself (no taillights or headlights  visible at all) and the next thing I knew I was surrounded by traffic.  I have no idea how far I went while I was out.  I apparently rolled off the throttle when I nodded off because traffic was flying by on both sides. Scared the crap out of me.

[mugwump58]

I had an issue the one time I experimented with red bull on a really long day. 2 hours after i'd. Have one i'd crash, so i'd have another. Not real smart

[stevent]

I've done it quite a bit, driving too, specially if it's warm out. I probably need to move to Alaska

[MKorn]

havent done it yet ... love to ride to much i guess.

never find it boring!

[RenegadeVT]

Never actually nodded off, but on a couple of occasion was so tired had had trouble focusing eyes.  Nothing I want to repeat again

[Smoker]

I nodded off while riding a Street Triple once.

But the blinding paw'r of the FJR has rendered me semi-unconscious on occasion.





























 

[cbsnbiker]

No.

[Bain Dramage]

Once- I think.

I was riding acorss Arizona, with my cruise control set at 3 MPH above the speed limit. It was 10:30 at night, and I had been riding since 7:00 am that morning. I remember being in the left lane, no traffic around, just motoring down the road when suddenly I hear a siren, and I look up and see red and blue lights in my rearview mirrors - and bright lights lighting up everything.

I put on my right signal, taped my brakes to cancel cruise control, entered the right lane and begin slowing down. The cop pulled along side me in the left lane and watched me for about 20 seconds - kept pace with me as I slowed - then gunned his engine and kept going down the road. There were other headlights approaching in the distance behind me, but I don't remember seeing them before.

I think I napped a bit, or at least dozed off.

I was sure as heck startled when the cop hit the siren.

I stopped at the next hotel and went to bed.

[kendenton]

I've never fallen asleep while riding, or while driving for that matter.  I don't think I've ever even fallen asleep as a passenger in a car, though I wish I could.

I had a friend back in the day who had a big problem with this.  He gave up motorcycling after falling asleep on the slab and crashing his YZF750

[exbanditrider]

I ride in the Rusty Nuts Grand Challenge (1,000 miles in 24 hours) here in NZ and we start at 3pm so have to ride through the entire night and into the next day.  

I find that I get tiredest just before dawn - this is the perfect time to stop for a break - helmet off, earplugs out and some food and drink.  Then, once the sun comes up I tend to feel refreshed and ride off almost as if I have actually woken up from a night's sleep (admittedly a poor night's sleep).  It is quite amazing the difference the light makes.

[jetnc1]

I got tired and fell asleep after reading these posts......

[cbsnbiker]

I got tired and fell asleep after reading these posts......

Where did you end up?

[Grainbelt]

I would really like to try a 24 hour rally but I'm pretty sure I'd fall asleep.

Come close a handful of times and actually nodded off a bit twice. Skeery and not fun.

[Jason F.]

I just tested my ability to keep alert this weekend. Had to go pick up a new to me bike and did not get the nap I had planned before my departure due to work issues. Got up for work Friday morning at 6:30 in the morning, went home at 7pm and packed up the gear, got on the bus to head 300 miles up the road at midnight, got into town at 7am, and jumped on the new bike for the 300 mile ride home. I was surprised how I did not get heavy eyed or tired on the ride home. It was on the interstate in the rain so it should have put me to sleep but I never lost any focus. Must have been that new bike rush of adrenaline. Got home and got to take a two hour nap before heading out to a Birthday party that lasted until midnight Saturday.

[gregm784]

I had a chance to go for a ride last sunday. I felt pretty good for a few hours, then the busy week and lack of sleep caught me and i could feel myself yawning and getting slow.  I pulled off, invested in a 5hr drink, and rode for 6 more hours.  Felt good the rest of the time.  

I respond well to those 5hr drinks, so i dropped a couple in my road kit on the bike 'just in case'.

Most important part of the puzzle, pull off when you feel that way.  I had my son on the back so i really wanted to be sharp.

[mjrfd99]

In '81 it was more like passed out.

[Papa Lazarou]

A couple of times. I believe that I was killed the second time, so my memory is a tad blurry.

The first time was in 1978, after leaving Glastonbury Free Festival (the very last free one). I was running down the M4 to Wales, fell asleep, and woke up about 5 foot from a bridge.

[tthompsr]

Few years back my Wife and I  where traveling behind a Bike going south, We noticed him weaving all over the road,before we could pull alongside he pulled a hard right and plowed into a 6 ft ditch,I stopped and ran back to the rider to find him and the bike ok.
While helping pull the bike out of the ditch found out he was traveling from somewhere up in the New England area down to Norfolk to report for duty.  We talked him into stopping at a rest area nearby to rest a little before carrying on.

[phaze5]

i take my grandson on the backroads around home and he falls asleep on the 955, but on the n/h he sits more upright and waves to the cows, ive noticed thats why i justify two bikes

[sammyseaman]

In '81 it was more like passed out.

   

[blackjaxx]

My son and I did an Iron Butt ride from Seattle to Clearwater MT and back. Had to stop at a park on the way back and sleep on a picnic table for an hour. Thought it was better to be safe and finish late than to push it and not finish at all.

[MrsCablebandit]

Today was the first time I fell asleep as a passenger.  It scared the crap out of me!!!  

[Cablebandit]

Today was the first time I fell asleep as a passenger.  It scared the crap out of me!!!  

I told you you wouldn't fall off.  

[2k6zx10r]

The rumble strips didn't wake me up in time.... I was working 10-11 hr days plus riding 2 hrs each way. To top it off it was cold (November) and I had my heated gear on on the ultra with the cruise set. Anyway On my way home i feel asleep on 287 between Bowie and Henrietta and was in the grass center median when I woke up. Thankfully the ultra had a good gyro effect with the cruise set and I was able to save it.almost ended up in oncoming traffic but stopped on the shoulder.

[sammyseaman]

The rumble strips didn't wake me up in time.... I was working 10-11 hr days plus riding 2 hrs each way. To top it off it was cold (November) and I had my heated gear on on the ultra with the cruise set. Anyway On my way home i feel asleep on 287 between Bowie and Henrietta and was in the grass center median when I woke up. Thankfully the ultra had a good gyro effect with the cruise set and I was able to save it.almost ended up in oncoming traffic but stopped on the shoulder.

Thankfully you didn't have these to stop you

[turbo.mp]

Can't say I've gotten sleepy on the bike, even riding 8+ hrs through the middle of the night.  Most of that is done in the city, with traffic, though...
On longer-distance rides I try to make little mental games to keep me awake and if there's no traffic I'll weave in and out of the dashed white lines to keep things interesting.  My fatigue is generally mental fatigue so it's just a matter of trying to keep my brain busy and alert.

[OU812]

I have had the same as the OP.
Close but no cigar.