Check out these sleep tips from the Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, and NIOSH, specifically collected for truck drivers:
Avoid spicy or heavy meals for 2 to 3 hours before sleep. Indigestion and acid reflux can cause trouble swallowing and heartburn. Eat your big meal earlier and stick to smaller snacks at the end of the day.
Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and other liquids. Even if you’ve built up a tolerance, caffeine continues to affect your body for 5 hours or more. Alcohol can disrupt your sleep and lead to lower sleep quality, even if it seems to help when initially dozing off. Nobody wants to keep getting out of bed for midnight bathroom breaks.
Obviously, avoid nicotine and other stimulants. Like caffeine, these substances stay active in your system, even if you don’t notice the effects during the daytime. A cigarette might seem to calm you down, but it’s still a stimulant.
Limit your screen time, especially television and your smartphone. We’ve all heard about the effects of blue light. Just a couple of texts or emails can mean several minutes of staring at your screen.