6 Ways to Stay Awake While Driving

2024 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 10:50

When driving long distances, especially at night, it's perfectly human to feel sleepy, especially if you've done strenuous activities before. Of course, sleepiness while driving is deadly. Besides pulling over and sleeping, what else can you do to stay awake and drive?

Step

Method 1 of 6: Using Food and Drink to Stay Awake

Step 1. Drink an energy drink to wake up your sense of taste

Energy drinks can keep you awake when you drive for long periods of time. Eat apples, oranges, or even lemons to maintain your sense of taste. The more acidic the food you eat, the better. However, if you eat food that you can't chew right away, step aside first. Eating while driving can also cause accidents.

Step 2. Eat slowly

If you have small meals, eat them one at a time, or bite the food slowly. Make food last longer. The more active your mouth is, the easier it will be for you to stay awake.

Step 3. Drink slowly, especially coffee

Coffee contains caffeine which can keep you awake. However, read the next steps to know the risks. In addition, periodically stopping driving to go to the bathroom can also refresh your brain until the next resting area.

Step 4. Avoid sugar

Sugar activates certain brain responses, so you feel sleepy and dizzy for some time after consuming it. The faster the sugar is absorbed by the body, the stronger the effect.

Step 5. Chew gum to keep your mouth busy

By chewing gum, you will not yawn, so you don't close your eyes. Make sure you keep chewing, even if your mouth is tired. This trick has been successfully practiced by truck drivers!

Step 6. Do something that activates more than one sense, such as chewing ice or eating chickpeas

Chewing makes you aware, but doesn't take your focus off the road.

• For some people, chewing ice is very effective. You don't even have to chew out loud. Ice is also suitable for chewing during meetings at night.

  

• Eat a lot of kuaci at once, or one at a time. The activities of peeling the yam, fiddling with the quail in your mouth, removing the seeds, and removing the skin of the quail will activate your brain. Keep a small container in your car to hold the seeds. You may also be able to spit it out of the car because of its small size.

  

Method 2 of 6: Cooling the Temperature

Step 1. Lower the temperature of the car a little cooler than your comfort zone

However, don't lower the temperature too far. Your brain and body must stay warm to function. Adjust the ventilation holes to blow air into your face.

Step 2. Wipe your face and neck with a damp cloth to freshen up

Step 3. Open the car window

A cold, strong wind can help you maintain awareness, but make sure your eyes don't dry out and make it difficult to see. Dry eye due to wind is common when you wear contact lenses.

Method 3 of 6: Playing Music

Step 1. Listen to music you hate

The more you hate the music, the better. Don't listen to songs you like, especially if they're calm. When you hear your favorite song, your brain will go into the happy zone, and start degrading performance. If possible, choose a radio station you don't like at high volume.

Step 2. Sing a song on the radio, or talk to someone in your car

Avoid chatting on cell phones, because chatting on cellphones is very dangerous and illegal in many places in the world. Talking and singing are active activities that won't interfere with your driving process.

Method 4 of 6: Activities in a Car

Step 1. Shake your head periodically, and inhale

Slap yourself if necessary.

Step 2. Raise one hand in the air

Step 3. Get out of the car seat

Step 4. Do addition and subtraction aloud, so that your brain works up to the goal

Step 5. Move to the beat of the music

The more energetic your music of choice, the better.

Step 6. Grasp the steering wheel with your hands, then press the steering wheel in one direction (or all directions) firmly and isometrically

Your adrenaline and blood pressure will increase.

Step 7. If you've done all the steps above without success, scream, either through dialogue with yourself or randomly

Be crazy. After yelling, you'll notice that you're a little tired. But if you're too tired, it's time to get some rest.

Method 5 of 6: Customizing the Car

Step 1. Don't use cruise control

Step 2. Turn on the interior lights at night

Darkness will make the body produce melatonin, a hormone that makes you feel sleepy, faster than feeling tired. Turn on the lights before you feel tired whenever possible, because once melatonin is produced, it's hard to wake up without falling asleep for 15 minutes.

Step 3. Place the chair in an unusual place

Make sure you don't place the chair where it will cause injury when the airbag is on, but also make sure you can still see the road and the rearview mirror. Once you get used to the seat position, change it back up!

Method 6 of 6: Getting Medical Help

Step 1. Consider getting a doctor's prescription if drowsiness while driving is unavoidable, for example if you have SWSD (sleep-walking disorder)

Tips

• Put some of your hair on the roof of the sunroof. If you start to feel sleepy, you will be awakened by hair pulling.
• When changing drivers, make sure the replacement driver is aware enough to drive!
• If all methods to prevent drowsiness have failed, retreat to a safe area, such as a rest area or gas station, and go for a walk. Physical activity can improve blood circulation.
• Play fast, energetic music, and avoid relaxing music, as relaxing music causes drowsiness.
• Bring a friend in the passenger seat, so you can talk to them to avoid drowsiness.
• If you're driving alone, step back and get some sleep. Make sure you park in a bright and crowded place to avoid robbery.
• Eat spicy and seasoned foods, such as Maicih chips.
• If you are planning a long trip, make sure you get enough sleep before driving to optimize your body's performance.
• If you're traveling with other people, take turns driving, then sleep when you're not driving.
• If your car has a cruise control feature, do not use this feature. Keep your body as busy as possible.

Warning

• It's best not to drive when you're sleepy. Fatigue will affect your body, and can lead to fatal accidents.
• If you are traveling long distances, and the chances of you feeling sleepy while driving are very high, you should stop driving when you are sleepy. Hotel rooms are not cheap, but your life is much more expensive.
• Many prescription and over-the-counter medications have the side effect of drowsiness. When using drugs with the side effect of drowsiness, do not drive. You may lose control of the car.
• In some places, you may get a ticket for not getting enough sleep.
• Avoid sleeping in the driver's seat. Instead, sleep in the passenger seat. The further the distance between the bed and the driver's seat, the harder it will be to fall asleep while driving. The more uncomfortable you sleep in the driver's seat, the safer your soul will be.
• If possible, avoid seat heaters. The seat heater will make the buttocks feel comfortable, and provoke drowsiness easily.
• If possible, step aside and sleep. Driving while drowsy is much more dangerous than driving when drunk.
• Beware of microsleep, which is very short sleep (up to 30 seconds) caused by a lack of sleep.