LA Times: What you need to know before you take a road trip this spring
UC expert says safe traveling means getting enough sleep
With winter giving way before too much longer to spring, and more people getting COVID-19 vaccines, some may be considering taking a road trip in the coming months. In a story published in the Los Angeles Times, Ann Romaker, MD, of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine in the UC College of Medicine was cited as a source on the importance of getting the proper amount of sleep while traveling, especially when changing time zones.
Ann Romaker, MD, of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine/Photo/Colleen Kelley/UC Creative + Brand
Romaker, also the director of the Sleep Medicine Center at UC Medical Center, says it's not a good idea to skimp on sleep while on a trip.
“Being sleep deprived is considered as bad as drinking and driving,” she says. “You have a moral and legal obligation to get better than adequate sleep at night.”
Traveling with children means taking their sleep schedules into account, and spending hours in the car could mean when stopping for the night, the kids might have difficulty settling down.
In case the kids have built up a head of steam after long hours in the car, Romaker, mother of four children, suggests these magic solutions: Find a park in a small town and let them run, and/or stay in a motel or hotel with a swimming pool.
Lead image: Ross May / Los Angeles Times; Getty Images
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