Tips for Staying Awake During Cross-country Trips

Whether you're hitting the road during the day or at night, drivers on cross-country trips are at high-risk for falling asleep behind the wheel. Long stretches of nothing, late nights, and plain boredom are some of the reasons people get drowsy during long trips across the country. Here are some tips for staying awake on long cross-country drives no matter what time it is.

Like Music?

Many people get pumped up when their favorite tunes are blasted on the radio. When great music isn't playing, it's easier for people to start getting drowsy behind the wheel. Thankfully, car adapters allow you to take your MP3 player and blast your favorite music via an FM receiver. New GPS models, such as Garmin Nuvi, work like an MP3 player. You can upload tons of MP3s onto your GPS, and, depending on the model, it then plays your music through your car speakers, or through small speakers on the back of the unit.

Chill out.

When people are warm and toasty, they tend to doze off behind the wheel. If you start getting sleepy, blast the air conditioner or if you're alone in the car, open your windows and let the cool air smack you around for a few minutes. High speeds will drown out your stereo and the winds can be deafening, but sometimes all you have to do is crack each window an inch or two to feel the waking effect of crisp air.

Get a legal buzz.

Whether your buzz of choice is nicotine or caffeine, make sure to have some handy on long road trips. Keep a cooler on hand with your favorite sodas. If you're like me and have a ridiculous obsession with fountain sodas (Extra bubbly? I don't know.) , be sure to stop at a McDonalds or convenience store as soon as your drink starts to get a little warm. The stop won't take long and the icy drink will help invigorate you. Cigarettes can be invigorating as well, although I don't condone their use. Still, I'd occasionally use cigarettes as a way to stay awake during long drives - especially at night.

Avoid snack attacks.

When people think about what to pack on long car trips, most instinctually think to bring along their favorite snacks, usually a bagged this or that. While light snacking helps regulate blood sugar, most people are bored enough on trips to eat way more than they normally would in a regular sitting. Food COMAs don't just happen after holiday dinners; they can sneak-attack you on the road as well. Instead of packing chips or sweets, bring a small cooler with fresh fruit or trail mix. These healthy snacks will give you a natural sugar rush, which will help keep you awake without crashing afterward.

Bring along some good books.

No, I'm not suggesting you read while driving, but Amazon.com has a great alternative. Their latest Kindle hold up to 1,500 books on a thin MP3-like device and has a text to speech function so you can listen to the latest New York Times Best Seller, or a chilling thriller to help keep you awake. You can also keep up-to-date on your favorite blogs. The Kindle's price is a little steep at $359, but book prices for the Kindle are all reduced and the wireless purchase function is pretty convenient rad.

Watch your favorite TV shows and movies on the road.

While watching shows might land you in the hospital, you can download your favorite movies and TV shows onto the latest generation iPod and then listen to them on the road.