8 Tips to Help You Stay Awake While Driving
Sing ~
Sing along with the radio. Sing without the radio. Sing a real song you remember, or sing something you make up as you go along. Sing anything, and you'll keep your brain a little bit more active. But don't hum! Humming will lull you right off to sleep.
Talk to another person ~
If you have someone riding with you, talk to them. The give and take of the conversation will help keep you focused. I know one person who used to deliberately start arguments with his girlfriend on long car trips. He said the yelling kept him awake. It worked for him, although they're not together anymore.
Talk to yourself ~
If you're driving alone, talk to yourself. Tell a story about something that happened to you, as if someone else was listening. Try to remember as much detail as you can about the event, and describe it to an imaginary listener.
Do some math ~
Keep your mind alert by doing mathematics out loud. Try to recite all the prime numbers, or do the less-common times tables (such as the 17s, or the 47s). Do factor trees out loud. Determine the value of pi to as many digits as you can before you reach your destination.
Count something ~
Choose one type of object. Something not too uncommon, but also not likely to appear every mile. Something such as a particular type of vehicle, or a specific brand of gas station that advertises on bill boards. Keep an eye out for your item to appear, and count how many instances there are of it within a set period of miles. Actively searching for your item will help keep you mentally alert.
Listen to a story ~
The best car stories are suspenseful, so that you stay awake and keep paying attention to see what will happen next. If you can't get one of your passengers to tell a good story, consider getting a good book on tape. Libraries loan books on tape, (and books on CD), so you can take a selection of stories with you on your next trip without any expense.
Drive in daylight ~
Whenever possible, drive during daylight hours. Our bodies are genetically programmed to be sleepy when it's dark and alert when there's light. You can give yourself an edge just by arranging to do most of your driving when the sun is up.
Rest ~
If all else fails, get some sleep. Sometimes nothing else will do. A little catnap at a safe rest area will do wonders to refresh you, and help you be a safer driver.
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Published by Susan300
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- Sing anything, and you'll keep your brain a little bit more active.
- If you're driving alone, talk to yourself.
- Keep your mind alert by doing mathematics out loud.
10 Comments
Post a CommentI HAVE DRIVEN ON LONG TRIPS AND NOW I WORK 11PM TO 7AM AND FIND THAT CHEWING ON ICE STILL WORKS ESPECIALLY THE CRUSHED ICE. TO THOSE WHO DONT BELIEVE TRY IT AND FIND OUT. IF IT WORKS FOR ME IT'LL WORK FOR YOU.
A sleepy or fatigued driver is a danger to himself (or herself) and others. Although you should never drive when you are sleepy, there is now a device on the market, the Cold Diffusion Fatigue Fighter (CDFF), that won't let you fall asleep while driving. Unlike devices that startle you awake when you start to fall asleep at the wheel (risky in many ways), the CDFF keeps you awake and increases alertness.
Don't drive if you know you are sleepy.
If you feel drowsy while you are driving, pull off the road and get some sleep.
Understand that if you are drowsy, even if you manage to stay awake, your reaction time and your judgment is impaired.
If you think that you are AT RISK of becoming drowsy, attach the CDFF to your bare shin and turn it on. The CDFF has a programmed cycle that uses temperature variations to prevent your body from establishing the core body temperature required for sleep. You simply won't fall asleep while using the device.
I drive a team truck and i drive overnight.. the other guy in the bunk sleeping doenot like it when im trying to sing to keep myself awake. my big problem is at about 6am everymorning i get sleepy. and i cant stop all the time. i need all the tips i can get.
Great article. I just wrote something similar to this. lol.
Remove your coat and turn the heat down in the winter. In the summer turn the air up or open the window. If you eat while driving distances stop for a snooze anything about 10 to 20min should refresh you.
"Blink your eyes a lot and hope the micro-naps add up". Oh never mind....you said tips to help you STAY AWAKE. Does slapping yourself count?
Good article - lots of good tips. A guy I know who drives a truck says he eats pumpkin seeds and the crunching keeps him awake,and he only drinks coffee when he is driving so the caffiene has more of a kick.
Good suggestions. Singing and playing the radio loud plus opening a window are my favorites. I plowed snow for 15-16 years and spent many nights fighting sleep behind the wheel. Stopping to walk around a few minutes is the best thing to give you a second wind. Don't drive if you are too drowsy! People who fall asleep behind the wheel and cause an accident have been known to get the same treatment in the courts as drunk drivers.
My daughter drives for 14 to 20 hours at a time; she always phoned family and friends to talk with her while she drove. These would have been great tips when she woke me at Midnight or 1AM for my turn to keep her awake! Good suggestions
Again, really good suggestions. And with my family in the car, we would probably never come short of a good story to keep everyone awake! :)