how to keep awake on long drives?

[pandus13]

Hello BITOGers,

I know we have some drivers with way over 1,000,000 miles and many years on board.

How do you keep awake on long drives (especially at night, maybe also raining) and when do you know you should pull over?

Thank you

 

[PimTac]

Talk radio.

Cold air and coffee.

Sleep.

 

[StevieC]

I drove 24 hours straight from Ontario to Florida a couple years back for vacation. I left late morning well rested and without and caffeine in my system. We stopped twice for gas, stretch the legs, use the washroom, eat etc. It's important not to eat carb heavy and only use Caffeine as you are feeling a bit tired and not as alert.

When I feel my eyes getting dry or my mind start slowing down because of exhaustion that is when I call it quits. No sense in risking your life.

I think as well you have to be able to function on low amounts of sleep. I get about 4ish hours a night and feel refreshed with that. I can also get up really early and go to bed late.

I have almost 2,000,000km behind the wheel and most of it for work. Sometimes really long hours of driving on-top of a full work day like working 8 hours and 8 hours of driving.

Radio and music help, caffeine is the biggest help but only use it when you need it sort of thing or it won't be effective for long.

 

[Leo99]

about 20 years ago, I was on a business trip and my flight home was cancelled. Wanted to get home to take my daughter to her soccer game. Drove all night in a rental car. Started to get tired and stopped at a Wal-mart. Bought a couple CDs. SRV and Nirvana Unplugged.

I don't think there is any magic recipe. It's about stamina. A long drive to one person might be 3 hours while to another person a long drive might be 23 hours.

Wife and I go to Atlantic City often. It's about 90 minutes from home. We used to leave about midnight or 1am. I'm not a good driver past 1 am anymore so we leave in such time that we'll be home around midnight. 1am at the latest. A man's got to know his limitations.

 

[jalf]

I like to stop every two hours or so and stretch the legs/change drivers. Oranges work well as pick-me-ups, but coffee is the key for me. Whenever the 20-ounce coffee mug gets drained, I stop and get more. It seems that every Shell or SuperAmerica along the interstates has decent coffee these days.

 

[andyd]

Be early 20s. Pack a cooler with flavored yogurt, fruit etc. Wife all into our'66 java grun bug. Marshfield to Grand Island NE in about 36 hrs. Got a nights sleep and drove on to Stockton CA. I don't travel nearly as easily these days.

 

[tomcat27]

Music and monster. Many many trips of 20 hours and more as the sole driver

 

[Nick1994]

It took me almost 20 hours to drive straight through to Montana 4 years ago. I should have stopped 12 hours in, in Salt Lake City. We did that on the way back.

Last month I drove a Uhaul from Oregon to Phoenix, I did the about 12 hours (including stopping for lunch and gas) and it was much better, was just about right. Stopped in Fresno.

For me, 12 hours is a good number.

 

[MNgopher]

Be well rested before starting.

Keep the temp coolish (for me that is the A/C cranked or just enough heat to be comfortable when cold out).

Listen to music or talk radio. Listening to something different can often be helpful.

I drink water except for when I need a pick me up. Then a diet pepsi or a diet mountain dew. Drink it all the time and it seems like it loses its punch.

Have some good snacks. Varies by who it is. For me, baby carrots and some ranch dip work well. Pretzels sometimes . Some hard candy or gum helps too. Setting a goal before I can have a snack or candy makes the miles pass too.

Take breaks every couple of hours. For me, the sweet spot for that is between 2.5-3 hours or so. Literally just 5-10 minutes out of the truck taking a bathroom break or walking does it for me. Usually enough to get me on to the next stretch. Gas stops don't work for me with a truck delivering 20+ mpg and a 36 gallon tank...

I know I need to take a break when I start fidgiting to stay alert and trying multiples of the tricks above. Being humble enough to admit its time to shut it down for a bit is key. I've found just taking a nap for even 15 minutes can make all the difference at times.

For me, a 12 hour drive is easily doable in one day. 15-16 hours if I am really pushing to make time, but it isn't fun by the end. That's for me as the only person in the car, driving the whole way. Add another driver, and the sky is the limit.

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted by andyd
Be early 20s.


Yeh. Youth is the thing.

Always stock up on youth before a long drive.

Careless ageing COSTS LIVES!

For example, due to over ambition, wind shifts and not knowing the coast in enough detail, I ended up sailing a Mirror dinghy for 23 hours straight, but I was in my early 20's so it was more or less OK.

Maybe 15 years later I was hallucinating Chinese Dragons on a similar duration Territorial Army exercise. Very pseudo-Nam-esque.

(Absolutely no offense to vets intended, or, I hope, taken.)

 

[DoubleWasp]

Staying awake:

-80's music, rockabilly, death metal, hair bands
-HP Lovecraft and Steven King books on audio (try and sleep now!)
-Trail Mix
-phone calls
-Caffeine
-Vape

When to quit:
-Dry eyes
-Just saw something in the road that wasn't there

The latter tends to happen when I'm fully energized and fully alert, but I've just been awake too long. Exhausted, but just can't tell.

 

[RooflessVW]

Put another down for music + monster.

It also helps that just about everything I've ever owned has either had a small tank or poor fuel economy or both, so i make frequent stops.

 

[Gasbuggy]

I've done some drives. Did Philly to Denver straight with a friend of mine in May. Philly to Los Angeles in 38 hours with another friend. My longest straight jaunt on my own was 18 hours. I started to fade around the 15-hour mark and pulled into a rest stop to try and sleep. I think I slept about 30 minutes before I wanted to get the heck out of there.

The 10 Calorie Rock Star Lemonade, I don't know what is in it but I feel amazing when I drink it. Even if I'm not tired. Better than any other "energy drink" I've tried.


Really though, there is nothing worse than driving tired. Be very well rested before you leave. Unless you've got a real reason to get somewhere, try to get a 20-minute nap in whenever you start to doze.

I have fallen asleep while driving. I was 18. Nothing happened but it is something I will never forget.

 

[Mr Nice]

Strong cup of coffee.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I usully stop every rest area and walk around the car quick.

 

[demarpaint]

I have a good friend who drives about 65K miles a year for work. We had this discussion a few weeks back. He typically drives from Huntersville NC to Miami and on occasion from Miami to Virginia. All one day trips. He stops every 2.5-3 hours for gas if he needs it or not. He walks around a bit uses the men's room, and gets a snack and water. If he feels he's getting tired he'll drink black coffee, and take a shoe off while driving. If he's really tired he'll stop and sleep. He has been doing this for the last 18 years without any problems.

 

[Andy636]

If I feel tired, I pull over and take a nap...not worth pushing it.

 

[Chris142]

I drove a truck many years ago. When running at night I would turn up pink Floyd's " Pigs,3 different ones" followed by anything by The Who. Talking to other drivers on the CB helped a lot. Keeps your mind off sleep. Another thing was to remove 1 shoe. According to other drivers it keeps your mind busy wondering why one foot feels different.

Eventually you will be so tired you must pull over and you will know when. No load is worth killing your self or others. If you must pull off the hwy always park on the on ramp,not an off ramp.

I ran lots to f I40 between AZ and Barstow,Ca. I knew which exits I could pull off and drive a few hundred feet to the left or right to be safe from traffic.

 

[vwmaniaman]

Lots of coffee and bag of popcorn, pretzels or nuts,one at a time and talk radio. When I start stretching on the headrest, its time to find a rest area.

 

[Driz]

I worked graveyard most of my career a lot of it driving . The secret is knowing when to say quit. You start having little micro nods where you have momentary lapses where you wonder if you missed something but can't figure out what start looking for someplace to get off.
My favorite trick to make sure I don't nod off while finding that place is take my hand hold it in front of my face and shake the [censored] out of it constantly . Drives you nuts looks stupid as [censored] but you don't nod off. Now consider that as life support not a way to keep keeping on. It's just to get someplace and crash out for a power nap. Try not to get that far gone but be aware of those micronods and white line fever as they can quickly end you.
They used to have a thing like a hearing aid back in the 70s and 80s you hung on your ear . It made a loud noise when your head tipped down. Insurance companies used to give them away. There probably out there someplace on the net for a few bucks. Grab one if you can.
One thing I always noticed was that late night driving was pretty easy till the first pink sky starts peeking over the horizon. That's whe the real agony begins and the Z monster attacks full on! Watch that period the most. That's a real good time to hit a rest stop and crash. Don't park way off alonein a dark corner. Stay in near where everyone comes and goes trucks especially. Many truckers carry artillery and the scum know it so aren't too tempted to rob you like in a dark corner. I always kept a big knife right down between the seats. Lock those doors lean way back and sleep till you wake up . Then hit the can wash your face and continue on the march. Those power naps are very reviving 🤗. Once that sun is full up you're into a new day off n running.