Microsleep on a Motorcycle: How to Take Proper Breaks

You're on an Alpine tour or a long motorway stage heading south, and suddenly your eyes are burning. Your concentration drops, your line through the bend gets sloppy. Then comes that leaden weight on your shoulders that even the strongest petrol station coffee can't shift. This is where the danger of microsleep on a motorcycle begins – one of the most dangerous situations you can experience as a biker.

Many riders know this: tired despite breaks. You stop every two hours, drink something, stretch your legs, and as soon as the visor is down again, the exhaustion is back. Why is normal resting often not enough on a motorcycle? Here we look at the physical and psychological causes and show you how to break the cycle.

Why you get tired so quickly on a motorcycle

Compared with driving a car, riding a motorcycle is a competitive sport for the brain. In a car you sit passively in an air-conditioned cabin. On a motorcycle you are constantly bombarded with stimuli, and they place huge demands on your nervous system.

Sensory overload behind the handlebars

Behind the handlebars your brain processes thousands of pieces of information per second: wind noise (often over 90 decibels), vibrations, the course of the road, the speed of others and the constant fine-tuning of balance. During breaks we then often sit in a noisy petrol station or scroll on our phones.

The problem: your brain doesn't get into rest mode. Your legs recover briefly, but the sensory fatigue in your head remains.

Airflow and fluid loss

Many underestimate the airflow. It cools you, but also draws a lot of fluid out of you through evaporation, often unnoticed under your suit. Even a fluid loss of about 2% of body weight can noticeably impair concentration and reaction time. On a motorcycle that is life-threatening, because your reaction time becomes considerably longer.

The break trap: why normal breaks often don't help

We all take breaks – just often the wrong way. A typical stop at a service station looks like this: engine off, helmet off, queue for a coffee, quickly check messages, maybe a chocolate bar, helmet on and off you go. The result: your stress level (cortisol) stays high.

• Digital stress: the blue light from the smartphone signals more work to your brain instead of rest.
• Sugar rollercoaster: the sugar in the chocolate bar causes a brief insulin spike. After about 30 minutes of riding, an even deeper slump follows.
• Too little oxygen: during breaks we mostly just stand or sit around. Blood pools in the legs instead of supplying the brain with fresh oxygen.

Seven types of rest for motorcyclists

To really get fit again, you need to know which battery is flat. Physician Dr Saundra Dalton-Smith distinguishes seven areas of rest that also fit bikers well:

Physical causes: when there's more to it

Tiredness often has nothing to do with a lack of willpower, but with biochemistry. If breaks don't help, there may be medical reasons.

Nutrient deficiency and blood values

If you're permanently exhausted, have your doctor check these values:

• Iron and ferritin: they are responsible for oxygen transport. A deficiency makes you weak and short of breath.
• Vitamin B12 and magnesium: important for nerves and muscles on long tours.
• Vitamin D: a deficiency leads to diffuse fatigue, especially after the winter break.

Sleep apnoea: when sleep doesn't restore you

Do you wake up feeling wrecked despite 8 hours of sleep? Do you have headaches in the morning? People with sleep apnoea stop breathing at night and never get into deep sleep properly. On a motorcycle, that almost inevitably leads to dangerous microsleep. An appointment at a sleep clinic can save your life here.

A break strategy against microsleep: the three-pillar rule

Forget the classic petrol station break. Try the three-pillar rule on your next tour:

Pillar 1: get rid of heat

Take off your helmet and gloves immediately and open your suit wide. Your body needs to release excess heat. Overheating in the helmet drives your pulse up and makes you extremely tired. Ideally, hold your wrists briefly under cold running water.

Pillar 2: drink properly and eat light

Don't pour litres of plain water into yourself; go for electrolytes. A splash of apple juice and a pinch of salt in water work wonders. Eat nuts or bananas instead of a heavy meal. That way you avoid the food coma, where blood is needed in the stomach for digestion and is missing in your head.

Pillar 3: cold water on your face

Splash ice-cold water on your face. This triggers the diving reflex, which acts via the vagus nerve and lowers your pulse. Many riders feel noticeably more alert for the next 60–90 minutes.

The night before the tour

Your tour begins the evening before. If you set off with a sleep deficit, you'll hardly make up for it on the road.

• Fixed rhythm: go to bed at your usual time.
• Cool bedroom: 16–18 degrees is ideal. If it's too warm, your nerve cells recover less well at night.
• No screens before sleep: finish planning the route on your sat nav and put your smartphone away 60 minutes before sleeping. Read a book or a motorcycle magazine on paper instead.

Warning signs: when you should end the ride

Be honest with yourself – that's the best protection. Stop or find a hotel if:

• you can't remember the last 5 kilometres,
• you start to feel chilly even though it's warm outside,
• you approach bends too late or steer jerkily,
• you see things at the roadside that aren't there (for example supposed animals that turn out to be posts).

Conclusion

Tiredness despite breaks is a serious signal from your body. As a motorcyclist you should never ignore it. Riding is only really fun with a rested mind and a fit body. Stop masking tiredness with caffeine and instead tackle the causes step by step.

Frequently asked questions about fatigue and microsleep on a motorcycle