Any ways to keep yourself from falling asleep at the wheel?

"Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently" (cristianadamro) 03/09/2015 at 11:18 • Filed to: None

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I'm going skiing tomorrow all by myself which means two things. I get to ski a lot. quite a lot. I'm targeting around 8 hours of non-stop skiing and second, a really long drive home after very little sleep.

How do you guys stop yourself from dozing off? Any tips and tricks? The first 130km will be only mountain roads, so I can keep myself up with the adrenaline my diesel Passat is able to supply, which is very, very, very little, but then I get on the highway and that kills me.

So, any idea on how to stay alive tomorrow, oppo?

thebigbossyboss > Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently 03/09/2015 at 11:21

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Sleep well the night before. How long is the drive? I have successfully managed 2 hour drive (each direction) while going skiing hard from first chair to last chair. (8-4)

Leon711 > Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently 03/09/2015 at 11:21

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regular rest stops, close your eyes for 15 and carry on.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently 03/09/2015 at 11:22

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Take the time to sleep first. And/or window down.

BrtStlnd > Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently 03/09/2015 at 11:22

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I get a bag of sunflower seeds in the shell and a cup to stay awake on the road. Keeps you doing something instead of thinking about how cozy and warm your bed would be.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently 03/09/2015 at 11:22

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red bulls

if u get tired stop and do jumping jacks or something to get the blood flowing again

Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently > thebigbossyboss 03/09/2015 at 11:25

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well, it's about 170 km, so about 3 hours with traffic. But I am known to be able to do it in about 2, but on empty roads...

nucciOMG > Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently 03/09/2015 at 11:26

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Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently 03/09/2015 at 11:26

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Open windows/ sunroof and loud heavy music works for me.

505Turbeaux > Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently 03/09/2015 at 11:27

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red bull and fresh air. I actually drive with the radio off because sometimes the rhythm of the music will take me down to sleep

thebigbossyboss > Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently 03/09/2015 at 11:27

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Putting the windows down helps. Especially in the cold.

RockRam > Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently 03/09/2015 at 11:27

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Sleep well the night before, get the most caffeinated coffee you can get and sip on it while you drive, and bust out some good music.

450X_FTW > Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently 03/09/2015 at 11:28

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Over hydrate. It's really really difficult, but not impossible, to fall asleep if you have to piss really bad

Milky > Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently 03/09/2015 at 11:28

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JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently 03/09/2015 at 11:30

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One huge tip is keep your window down! The noise and feeling of cold air on your face really help wake you up! Also, play some loud music that you like to sing along to!

$kaycog > Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently 03/09/2015 at 11:31

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Chewing bubble gum and blowing bubbles.

yamahog > Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently 03/09/2015 at 11:36

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if you seriously need to sleep, find a safe place to pull over and do so. Maybe even map out motels along the way. Worst case you're out a few bucks and late for whatever you have to do the next day, which is better than the alternative worst case if you can't stay awake.

Gonzo3333 > Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently 03/09/2015 at 11:44

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Do you have satellite radio? If you do, look for a comedy channel and crank that bitch up!

jariten1781 > Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently 03/09/2015 at 11:47

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Make yourself uncomfortable. AC on full cold or windows down. If you usually have no lumbar support throw a big pillow behind your lower back and conversely, if you usually have support remove it. Set an obnoxiously loud alarm to go off every 5 minutes or so. Drink way too many liquids so you have to piss the whole time.

If you're still worried about dozing at that point you've got to stop. Take a 15-30 minute nap at a rest stop or gas station. If you're nervous about sleeping in the car go lock yourself in a stall and nap there.

Svend > Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently 03/09/2015 at 11:54

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Get as much sleep as you can before you set off, then before you head back get a coffee and relax, on the way back play music with a good beat (ie nothing soothing or relaxing, but also not too obnoxious and loud) and a window open but should you start to feel tired, stop in a rest area and grab a coffee and sit inside the diner/cafe away from the car, if you still feel tired after half an hour get back in the car and grab half an hour or an hour of sleep (make sure your vehicle is secure and you are parked in a well lit safe place). The point is, if you feel tired and start to doze off or mind wander, STOP.

There are several things that are a killer when driving:-

alcohol,

drugs,

fatigue,

distractions (phone calls/texting/allowing others in the vehicle to cause you to take your attention from the road),

Gonzo3333 > 450X_FTW 03/09/2015 at 11:55

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Having to piss on a really long drive sucks for sure. If I were to use the over hydrate method, I would want some kind of reservoir for the inevitable, if I don't piss now my seats will be full of piss. I can say that in theory it works well, just make sure you have a pot to piss in when you're up to your eyeballs in piss.

1.21 JIGGA WATTS!!! > Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently 03/09/2015 at 11:55

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Sunflower seeds and a cup. I've tried most things on the list (minus chew) and nothing beats sunflower seeds, except maybe rolling down the windows. The action of having to crack a shell, separate the seed, and then spit only the shell out really makes you think about it. It has worked better for me than: eating pretzels, chewing gum, eating, and drinking caffeine. The only caveat is if you eat high salt seeds, your mouth will feel raw a few hours later.

References: I commute 1.25 hours and 85 miles to work, leaving at 3:30 in the morning and arriving at 5:00 AM. I then repeat the process home at 3:30 PM. I usually run on 5-6 hours of sleeping doing it too.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently 03/09/2015 at 11:57

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I drove from Pittsburgh to Boston overnight once, 8pm to 6am (note: this was a bad idea). Every two hours I'd stop, use the restroom (which was essential because) and get a liter of Mountain Dew. I also listened to "Crooked Little Vein" by Warren Ellis on CD, and that book was creepy as hell (especially driving through Pennsylvania on mostly unlit roads).

Once I also drove from Toledo to Pittsburgh from about 1am to 5am. There I just drank one bottle of Mountain Dew and didn't stop for bathroom breaks. I was awake, but oh did that suck.

zeontestpilot > Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently 03/09/2015 at 12:06

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Loud, fast/aggressive music. Also sing along with it, move your body to the music. It sounds silly, I know, but you aren't staying still and moving gets your blood pumping. And if you really get into it, you'll enjoy yourself. I prefer heavy metal, or punk rock. I wouldn't recommend anything that is passive, or boring.

If you can, windows down. The wind passing by is annoying for me, so it helps. Keep your heater low or off. Being warm usually means being comfortable, don't make yourself comfortable, :).

Lastly, get something nice to drink. Caffeine doesn't do too much for me anymore, so I usually get something that has a distinct taste. I tend to get pop/soda, as I enjoy the carbonation. I also buy Faygo pop, usually Candy Apple flavor, as I like to have the flavor dance upon my tongue.

Hope this helps!

Roadster Man > Ratonu13-Proud Daewoo owner, apparently 03/09/2015 at 12:10

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#1: My favorite is the PURGE: ALL WINDOWS DOWN! I don't mean crack your window to get some cool breeze, I mean all the windows all the way down. Do it every 20 minutes or something.

#1: Slap yourself in the face, hard. REALLY HARD. This actually works. If you have a beard, yank on it, REALLY HARD. Pain helps you stay awake.

#3: Pull over and take a nap. For real. Set your watch/phone for a 15-minute powernap and just do it when you feel your eyes fluttering. Being late is better than being dead, right?