carcolepsy

a condition characterized by brief attacks of deep sleep brought on by simply being in a car

Dude, your car is so comfortable it gives me carcolepsy

by kelly del gaudio July 21, 2007

carcolepsy

the irresistible desire to sleep while sitting in the car

As soon as my husband backs the car out of the driveway, carcolepsy sets in, and I'm out.

by Kittydoc October 24, 2012

carcolepsy

The condition that afflicts many people where the motion of a moving vehicle makes them tired or fall asleep very fast.

I hate going on road trips with Anthony! Thirty minutes in and he's asleep, leaving to fend for myself the next 4 hours, that dude must have a case of carcolepsy.

by Wordsworthl3ss June 24, 2016

carcolepsy

When the person in the passenger seat spontaneously falls asleep while driving.

Every time I get in the car, I get carcolepsy.

by ch33rch1ca96 September 26, 2010

carcolepsy

the condition of falling asleep anytime someone rides in a car.

I always have to drive Elizabeth because she has carcolepsy.

by tbarlow1 January 7, 2012

Carcolepsy

When something occurs in the car and you're not sure if it really happened due to extreme fatigue.

Dude, I think he just stopped on the highway but I might be having some serious carcolepsy.

by KDF42 April 19, 2018

Carcolepsy

The act of getting sleepy while riding in a car. The word is a portmanteau word from car (for a motor vehicle, but it can occur on a plane or a train as well) and narcolepsy (a sleep disorder). The difference between carcolepsy and narcolepsy is that people who suffer from carcolepsy occurs in people who do not have a sleep disorder. It is theorized that people with carcolepsy are sensitive to gentle vibrations, the sound of the car engine or the tires interacting with the road, and a rocking motion. These stimuli have a soothing effect on some individuals. This sometimes interferes with the person being able to drive although they have no manifestations of narcolepsy. The best example of carcolepsy, although the term is not often used in this situation is taking a fussy baby for a car ride to make them sleepy. Sleep medicine physicians sometimes jokingly use carcolepsy when someone brings this issue to their attention.

I was really looking forward to a chat with Aunt Helen on the drive to Grandma's house but she had an "attack" of carcolepsy as soon as she got into the car and slept the whole way there

by Jerold in Citrus Park October 18, 2023