5 Weird Ways to Stay Awake While Driving
Situations are different. Each driver decides to stop independently, based on experience and well-being. The main thing is not to forget that you are responsible not only for yourself but also for the passengers. And then there are people around: in passing and oncoming cars that you can collide with if you can’t cope with sleep. We tend to underestimate this threat.
You need to be especially careful on unfamiliar roads when traveling in foreign countries, such as the UAE, for example. If you rent a car from a local rental shop such as evolve.ae, first test it on the road during the day, make sure the rental car is in good condition, etc. Rental is good because it allows you to choose the car that best suits you.
One way or another, there are several ways to delay sleep and drive with an acceptable concentration of attention for several tens or even hundreds of kilometers. Let’s not recall the well-known advice about talkative passengers who must constantly monitor the driver, or about energy drinks. But here are some tips you may not have heard of.
Sleeping passengers – in the back seat
Have you ever started to yawn just at the sight of a yawning person? There is nothing strange in this. Scientists explain contagious yawning as the so-called echo phenomenon – an automatic imitation of other people’s words or actions. So, the sight of a sleeping person subconsciously tends to sleep. Therefore, if the passenger is going to sleep on the way, it is better for him to sit in the back seat. But the reception will only slow down the onset of a sleepy state in you.
Disgusting music (+20 min.)
The advice about loud music, I think, has been heard by many. Only the driver who rides alone can afford to turn on the radio to the fullest. But what if there are sleeping children in the cabin? Then the headphones come to the rescue. And some drivers advise in such a situation to turn on the music that you usually don’t listen to and that annoys you. Negative emotions will help wake up, but not for long. Music will give a minimal effect. You will win literally a few minutes from sleep in order to remember another, more effective technique.
Coffee – at the end of the journey (+20…40 min.)
Banal advice? Of course! But the question is when to drink coffee. This natural psychostimulant has been used since antiquity. But not everyone knows that coffee does not always help. Caffeine (like black or green tea) is not an energy substrate, but only stimulates the body’s resources. It is like a fuel additive that improves its certain properties for a while. In other words, coffee will only cheer you up for 20-40 minutes (depending on the dose) only if the driver has a good night’s sleep on the eve of the trip.
And one more thing: caffeine increases the heart rate and constricts blood vessels. As a result, the pressure rises. But when the effect of caffeine ends, the opposite reaction will occur: the vessels dilate, the pressure drops, and drowsiness sets in. So it makes sense to use the technique at the end of the journey when you know for sure that after half an hour you will be able to go to bed.
Mustard plasters (+20…40 min.)
The method is not suitable for everyone. But if you really need to go, then you can use the mustard plaster. The main thing is not to overdo it. Usually, its action develops into pain after 15-20 minutes. If you feel a strong burning sensation, you can weaken the pressure of the mustard plaster on the body for a while or remove it. Thus, with several approaches, you can win back a little more time from sleep. It is most convenient for the driver to place the mustard plaster on his back between the shoulder blades. If it burns unbearably, sit upright without pressing against the back of the chair.
Talk about “it”
The main enemy of sleep is hormones. If you are alone in the car with your life partner, start a conversation on an exciting topic. For example, about sex. The production of hormones that are responsible for sexual arousal is guaranteed to keep you awake. But don’t overdo it. The method is individual, and its effectiveness depends on many factors, including the mood of the partner. True, you can play it safe and make a gift for the girl with you. Hand it to her on the road – it will cheer her up and create the right atmosphere for a frank conversation.
And yet you should not fight with sleep, especially while driving. Too risky this occupation, no matter how interesting the chosen method may be.
Photo by Vladimir Proskurovskiy on Unsplash