Ways to Stay Awake While on a Long Drive

Many people's commute to work takes an hour or longer. This comes from the preference of living in the quieter rural and suburban areas, but needing (or wanting) to keep the higher paying job in the city. While an hour drive down the highway can be refreshing from the near constant stop-n-go of in-town driving, it can also be highly monotonous. Watching the painted stripes on the road flash by is almost hypnotic to the point of putting you to sleep.

Having had at least one accident that was attributed to falling asleep at the wheel, I tried a few different methods of keeping myself awake while driving. Every person is different, therefore each person must decide which method works best for them, but here are a few suggestions.

Music Avoid quiet, sleepier music such as slow jazz or classical. Upbeat music with heavy bass really does help keep the body awake. Hip-hop, R&B, and the faster light rock songs are good choices. Something you can sing along with helps too, as the more active you can keep yourself, the more awake you are.

Fresh Cool Air Keeping the windows open, especially when it is cool outside, helps to keep you refreshed and alert. Heat can relax you and make you drowsy. During the winter, keep your heat down to the bare minimum necessary to keep your windows defrosted, and crack the windows to allow cool fresh air in around your head. In the summer, if it is hot and humid out with barely any wind, use your air conditioning.

Refreshing Drink A swig of cold fluid running down your throat can wake you right up. At least for a few moments anyway. I keep the top off of my bottle of water so that I can grab it and drink at any time. Caffeine helps too. Hot drinks can work for some people as well, since the heat can awaken the senses. However, if you're prone to relaxing with a hot drink, I'd advise against using them as a method of staying awake. Instead, try iced coffee or iced tea.

Cinnamon The mother of a co-worker suggested this. Add a couple dashes to your coffee or drink of preference and it actually helps keep you awake and more alert.

Gum Strongly flavored cinnamon and mint gums can keep your senses alert and in turn, your mind. The drawback however, is when the flavor is gone, so is the effect. Popping a fresh piece in your mouth will continue the effect, but I usually only do this method toward the end of the trip as I want to limit how many pieces I'm chewing every day. (Sugarfree gums that contain aspartame and saccharin should be chewed in moderation. No more than 15 pieces a day.)

Snacks This is the most effective method for me personally. I keep a bag of chips, popcorn or other snack in the car. The drawback - possible weight gain from daily snacking. You can help counteract the drawback by picking healthier snacks like Triscuit crackers, saltines, cereal bars, 100 calorie packs, etc.

Another suggestion is smoking, but I'm not putting it officially on the list as it is not necessarily a good thing to push, but if you are a smoker already, sometimes smoking can keep you awake, especially if you crack the window too. Doesn't always work though (I know - I used to smoke many years ago.)