tuscl

What do you do to stay awake on long drives at night?

Sunday, December 2, 2007 12:07 PM
Just wondering if it's late at night and you have an hour or longer to drive home, what do you do to stay awake? I drink soda and sometimes roll down the window with cool air to help stay awake if I feel drowsy. However that doesn't always seem to work so well. I tend to make a point to sleep late but if you stay out later than normal, it sort of wipes out the effect. Sunlight will keep me awake but if you leave before sunrise, you don't have that either.

21 comments

  • MisterGuy
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    17 years ago
    Turn up the music! I always try to drive with at least one "album" that I know I can get into on a long drive. I'm a night owl though...I think I can only remember one or two times that I've felt like I was going to fall asleep at the wheel.
  • DandyDan
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    17 years ago
    I'm a night owl, mostly because I work nights. Usually a soda works and I agree with MisterGuy on music, but I got XM radio finally installed in my new car, so I got a few different channels to listen to, depending on my mood.
  • FONDL
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    17 years ago
    Coffee and loud country music works for me. I enjoy driving late at night but I rarely get to do it since I retired. Which is probably a good thing since my night vision isn't as good as it used to be.
  • DougS
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    17 years ago
    I'm a night owl, too. I suppose we are ALL pretty much night owls, 'cept for the guys that only monger on the day shift. Due to my usual club visit itinerary, I am normally operating on very little sleep. Even with my "night owl" status, staying awake on my long drives after being continuously awake many hours had proven to be a problem. On one such return trip, even with the stereo blazing, the windows down and copious amounts of Mountain Dew consumed, I was nodding off. I scared myself shitless several times, actually leaving the road. I stopped a half-dozen times to get out and walk around, I stopped to eat... anything that I could think of, and still it was only momentary relief before I was nodding off again. NOT GOOD! My ATF introduced me to energy drinks by sharing a can of Red Bull with me during our first night together ITC. I realized right away that it helped me stay alert, even though I was functioning on very little sleep that week (closing the club every night, sitting in class all day). From that point on, I make sure that I have a good supply of energy drinks on hand. I've found that Rockstar is one of the stronger ones, and also comes in 16oz cans, so it is a good drink for the road. Since I began imbibing in the energy drinks, I haven't found myself nodding off. It will be a good test in mid Dec when I make a week long pilgrimage going to class by day and clubbing by night - the first week long sexpedition since last year's introduction to energy drinks.
  • shadowcat
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    17 years ago
    Loud music works. Chain smoking works. Sucking on hard candy works. Stopping once in a while and getting out of the car for a few minutes also works.
  • Yoda
    •
    17 years ago
    Coffee, stopping and taking a short cat nap, stopping and getting out to walk around, loud music, calling my fav as she is driving home. What ever it takes. I fell asleep at the wheel late at night about twenty five years ago and if it wasn't for an extremely solid American built 1976 Chevy Impala taking the impact I probably wouldn't be typing this right now.
  • ThisOldManPlayed1
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    17 years ago
    During 2006, while conducting my numerous strip club road trips, I would travel at nights inbetween targetted cities, and check into a motel and get about 5-6 hours sleep before check-out time. I would start hitting the clubs in the afternoon on into the early evenings. During those times, I would drink coffee, smoke, snack, and listen to TALK radio to keep my mind active, as music usually put me to sleep. Prior to our last TUSCL Convention in Columbia, SC, I couldn't sleep the night prior to leaving for SC. So, I loaded the car and travelled between midnight and noon the next day. Besides the aforementioned remedies, I ended up taking two 45 minute power naps at rest stops on the way, which helped considerably.
  • snowtime
    •
    17 years ago
    I drive a lot late at night and coffee just doesnt do it for me as much as it used to. I think you build up some sort of immunity to the caffine. Anyway, now I have the best results by listening to talk radio on XM as you will never loose the signal. With traditional radio I would find a ststion with an interesting program only to loose the signal in 30 minutes or less. Also enjoy Fox news or Cnn with programs like Gretta or Nancy Grace. They usually have some new gossip/news on the latest tabloid celebrity and it will usually keep me alert or at least keep me from dozing. As a nightowl I also have a few friends with similar hours who can be counted on to carry on a phone conversation for long periods of time.
  • driver01
    •
    17 years ago
    Books on tape/dvd--- if it's a subject/genre you're interested in, time flies. Before you know it, you are there and either a little smarter than when you left or with that feeling you get after finishing a great novel. I drive a lot. My acquisition of which book on dvd is usually dictated by the length of the trip. You can find them ranging from 3 to 28 hours, abridged or unabridged. If you don't want to purchase them(they can be pricey), libraries have them or you can rent them from Cracker Barrel to Cracker Barrel or truckstop to truckstop...They have been a very good way to pass the time and to stay awake...but that's just me.
  • RandomDancer
    •
    17 years ago
    It sounds goofy, but I make myself sing along with loud music. This time of year, I try to play funny Xmas tunes that make me laugh too. Also, keeping cold air blowing in the car keeps me from nodding off. Soda, energy drinks, coffee, etc. are all good for a quick boost before I get in the car but almost always lead to "let down" before I am anywhere near home.
  • chandler
    •
    17 years ago
    I second Driver's books on CD recommendation for all long drives, not just to stay awake. For staying awake, annoyingly chipper music works best for me, like 'Have a Nice Day: Super Hits of the 70s'. Coffee, however, makes me feel too crappy the next day. I'd rather take my chances with the bridge abutments.
  • arbeeguy
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    17 years ago
    To me, nothing beats a good book-on-tape or on CD. (Don't think they put books on DVD, contrary to Driver01) The trick is to find a good one. And that is a big challenge IMHO. I usually check out four sets at a time, and generally at least one of them is engaging. Once I am interested in the story, I don't feel sleepy. The other thing is to take naps when you feel drowsy & see a good spot to rest. That is a no-brainer, or as my teenager likes to say, "Duh!"
  • chandler
    •
    17 years ago
    For me, the #1 unknown quantity of a book on CD is the narrator. So many times, I've picked up a title I thought I was sure to enjoy, but I just couldn't take the voice of the guy reading it. Too monotone, too sing-song-ey, too phoned-in, or just plain irritating. Sometimes, I'll try one as much because I know I can listen to the narrator as for the author or subject matter.
  • Clubber
    •
    17 years ago
    I don't try, I just set the cruise control and take a nap, then wait till the police arrive to clean up the accident scene.
  • parodyman-->
    •
    17 years ago
    What I have found helpful is: 1. Buy an ipod (or other mp3 player) and plug it into your car's stereo. 2. Sing along with your favorite tunes. Making an effort to sing well. 3. Energy Drinks like Red Bull, Monster, Rock Star 4. Coca Cola Slurpee from 7-11 5. Stop the car, get out and walk around. 6. Altoids 7. Stop for gas, fuck around washing your windows, check your oil, check tire pressure... shit like that. 8. Know your limits. Stop and sleep rather than dying in a firery wreck. All my TUSCL friends be safe out on the road!
  • treetopsman
    •
    17 years ago
    All of the above with the caffeine and such - with the radio too. But one thing I do is roll down the window - especially if it is cold outside. Very difficult to doze off with wind in your face.
  • Clubber
    •
    17 years ago
    Roll down the windows if it is cold? Perhaps I am incorrect, but I always thought that if one were to freeze to death, they would fall asleep before that happened. That said, seems one would compound the problem. I wonder what the wind chill factor would be with, say an ambient outside temperature of 50F and a 50-60 MPH wind in your face?
  • MisterGuy
    •
    17 years ago
    It is true that one will usually fall asleep before ultimately dying from hypothermia. I doubt that feeling "cold" while driving (especially to the point of shivering) would cause one to fall asleep faster though. Generally, the wind chill for ambient temperatures above 40F is not very significant...[view link] The same is true for wind speeds above 60 mph...the wind chill isn't significantly different for wind speeds higher than that.
  • casualguy
    •
    17 years ago
    Rolling down the window when it's freezing outside, in the 30's, is a pretty effective way to stay awake. I don't sleep very good at all when I get cold. However if I am warm and comfortable, all bets are off. I guess if I lived up north in the frozen tundra of the northern US, I wouldn't have any trouble staying awake. One winter when I was there the temperature was -3 during the day and the wind cut through my heavy coat as if it wasn't there and felt like needles stinging me all over. I heard that the temperature was just slightly below normal. I think I like it better in the south. You know it's too cold when the rivers are frozen.
  • SuperDude
    •
    17 years ago
    Windows down. Loud music. Chew a lot of gum. Stop and gulp air. Eat a bag of chips.
  • Book Guy
    •
    17 years ago
    gum? chips?
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