Any way to combat sleeping while driving?
I am a 37 year old female.
I've *always* had an issue with falling asleep while riding in cars, but during the last 4 or 5 years, it has become increasingly disruptive and dangerous.
It's reached the point that I cannot drive at all during twilight (when the sun is going down). Once it's fully dark, I can get further before starting to fall asleep, but usually 30-40 minutes is the longest I can go before getting drowsy (even in daylight). Certain "triggers" make it VERY hard to stay awake -- for example, getting flashed with headlights makes me nearly fall asleep within seconds.
I've tried singing and breathing exercises. I move. I jerk my head and change position so I have to keep refocusing my eyes. I've had passengers who talk to me. I stay on the phone or in Discord group calls.
About the only thing that really buys me more time is covering and closing my left eye and leaving my right eye open. For some reason beyond my understanding, this allows me to stay alert for longer.
I don't have problems sleeping at night, so I'm not overly tired. It even happens in the morning when I'm driving to work.
Are there some strategies I can try? Should I talk to a doctor about this, and if so, what kind of doctor?