How do you stay awake when you need to drive somewhere and you're tired?

[MissMillie]

I had to have my son here on campus at 4:00 this morning.... I did catch a few winks in the car before being at my desk, but I'm tired.

should I roll all the windows down in the car?

Should I listen to Jay Severin so I can yell back at his foul-assed mouth?

Should I make my son talk to me?

[PeaceNikki]

1. Definitely keep the car cool.

My sleepiness intensifies tenfold if it's too warm.

Be safe!

[DS1]

2. Make a stop now and then at a convenience store or what not

just to get in the lights and interact with someone, buy a coke or sumthin

[MrCoffee]

3. Do what the long-haul truckers do

Methamphetamines.



I'm kidding, of course. Meth is bad. Don't do meth.

[Deep13]

4. Make him drive.

If you start getting drowsy, stop and take a nap. The only cure for fatigue is sleep.

[LisaM]

5. I can't recommend driving when tired

just don't do it.

If you simply have to go, at least stop somewhere safe and take a nap on the way.

The effects of sleep deprivation on driving are underreported, IMO. If you'd had a couple of drinks, or were taking medicine, you wouldn't set out. Being sleepy is similar.

Although, if your son can do some of the driving, let him.

[Inchworm]

6. I love that feeling - it's like a free buzz

sip, repeat, sip coffee. When you gotta pee park a little away from the restroom and take in the air. cracked windows too.

If it gets real bad keep a lit cigarette between fingers with the cherry close to skin... I kid. Just don't drive when you get so tired you start seeing sheep crossing the road or any other hallucinations. Be safe.

:hi:

[britpopper]

7. Crank up the A/C...

...then crank up some AC/DC...the combination will be hard to doze off to...good luck

[LisaM]

8. The National Sleep Foundations estimates 100,000 accidents per year due to sleep deprivation

http://www.sleepfoundation.org/atf/cf/%7BF6BF2668-A1B4-4FE8-8D1A-A5D39340D9CB%7D/adoptDDfactsheet.pdf

[Critters2]

9. Drink something with both caffeine and sugar, well, HFCS. And stop to rest, stretch your legs,

as often as possible. And if you really feel you might doze off, get off at the nearest rest area or truck stop and catch a short nap.

[billyoc]

10. You don't, you die in a fiery crash.

Go to sleep.

[littlebit]

11. As a trucker who drives about 3000 miles a week

my best advice would be don't drive tired. You can drink caffeine or listen to loud music but eventually your body will just shut down.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

12. A rum and coke.

It's got caffeine in it.

[LooseWilly]

17. hehe...

Actually, that was the precursor to the tail lights looking like Christmas ornaments on a series of parallel conveyor belts scenario I mentioned below (#16).
It worked beautifully for at least 200 miles though (well, combined with the chain smoking).

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

13. Don't drive. Driving while really tired is just as dangerous as driving drunk.

[ZeitGuy]

14. I wouldn't recommend playing "Songs of the Humpback Whale."

My suggestion would be to turn on the AC, roll down the window, and press the tip of a Phillip's head screwdriver firmly against the center of your forehead, directly between your eyebrows and hold it that way the entire drive home.

Either that, or leave the car and take a bus/taxi.

[carlyhippy]

15. coffee and deep breaths in a cool car with your favorite music blaring

[LooseWilly]

16. Chain smoke?

Especially if you're not a smoker... that'll really keep you awake, though you might need to make some stops to vomit.

Coffee and no-doze?

Look, I'm afraid there is no healthy way to drive while exhausted. If you've driven 12 hour shifts several days a week for years... then there's always the micro-nap while driving. Not for the faint of heart though, as it can be hard to remember that the brake lights ahead are an indication that you'll need to wake up enough to get a foot on the brakes soon.

One last hint, when the tail lights of the cars ahead of you begin to look like Christmas ornaments riding along on a series of parallel conveyor belts, it might be time to find a place to pick up some coffee or beat your head against a wall until the adrenalin levels pick up a bit.

[Rabrrrrrr]

18. Your best bet is to find a well-lit convenience store/gas station and take a nap in car.

Sleep for 15 minutes or so when you feel tired.

Tired people shouldn't be driving.

I also find that - for me, anyway - listening to a radio show (Soundcheck, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, an interview with a famous person, etc.) helps me stay alert and focused more than listening to music.

[charlie and algernon]

19. when I had to drive from Illinois to PA, I listened to an audio book

i bought the CD version of Hannibal Rising. It took 12 hours to get through it and kept me focused if I wanted to know what was going on in the story.

[Danger Mouse]

20. Turkey leg.

[TroglodyteScholar]

21. Best answer

Hard to fall asleep when you're mopping up grease that's trying to drip from your elbow!

[Danger Mouse]

22. How can anybody sleep when they're feasting on an entire turkey leg?

It's the perfect perker-upper.

[fishnfla]

23. I drive 1000 miles a week and put in a full day of clients when I get

where I'm going. I take Diet Mountain dew, extra strength exedrin ( 200 mgs caffiene), and no i am not joking, whne i get drowsy i slap myself, hard, in the face

[Lavender Brown]

24. Red Bull

:shrug: Gross but it works.

[WinkyDink]

25. Let me tell you: One can fall totally asleep WHILE TALKING. I have had 2 VERY close calls.

[Dangerously Amused]

26. Caffeine Nap.

Info here, and other resources as well:

http://www.sleepdex.org/caffeine-nap.htm