My biggest threat on the street is not a tractor trailer or a kamikaze cab driver. My biggest threat is fatigue.
8 Hours or Bust
Every night, it is critical to get eight hours of sleep. For me, this can be a challenge because I often must rise at 2:00am for a 3:00 or 4:00am pick up. Simply by doing the math you can figure out that I need to go to bed at 6:00 or 7:00pm in order to get my full eight hours of sleep.
The Bank Account
Getting the proper amount of sleep is a lot like making deposits and withdrawals in my bank account. Although I can function effectively on five, six or seven hours of sleep, I’m useless and cannot function on anything less than four hours of sleep the night before. If I have a sleep deficiency of two or three hours, then I need to make it up during the day in order to be an alert and effective chauffeur.
I need to make a deposit of sufficient sleep to maintain my sleep bank account without a withdrawal penalty. How do I accomplish this?
Catnaps Are My Cure
Many times, I will have one, two or even three hours between rides. As soon as I drop a passenger off at their planned destination, I will drive to the location of my next pick-up. I find out exactly where it is and then drive down the street and park. I then prepare to take a 30, 60 or 90 minute catnap. Setting the alarm on my iPhone is critical to a successful sleep plan, so I don’t oversleep during my catnap.
Surprising Satisfaction
I am often surprised at how refreshed I feel after even a 20-minute catnap between rides. Sometimes I’ll take two or three catnaps in one day. They make up for the deficiency in sleep from the night before. The sleep I get is critical to safe driving for me and my passengers!
Drop Your Keys
I learned about catnaps because my Grandfather on my Mother’s side (my Mor Far) was the Chief Surgeon in Copenhagen, Denmark. He worked very long hours and would often have to perform back-to-back surgeries at the height of World War II. He would often tell my Mother that if she could stop and rest long enough to drop her keys out of her hand, then that was enough time for her to be refreshed. She passed that knowledge onto me.
The moral of this Street Story is to always get enough sleep before getting behind the wheel. Don’t drive drowsy! Try to get eight hours of sleep every night. If you can’t get a full eight hours, sometimes a catnap will refresh you so you can “drop your keys,” feel refreshed and make it safely to your next ride.
