How do you stay awake (long drive)?

[CyclChyk]

1. stop for a hot big cup of java (caffeine)
2. Roll window down for air to smack me in face.

If neither of these work, I have been known to smack my checks.... no pain no gain, right?

[Kitsune06]

I revisit Marilyn Manson or Punk (Anyone remember Bad Religion?) and sing/shout/growl with it,
Pretend I'm racing...
drink redbull so I have to pee, then I'm *very* awake looking for rest stops
think about what I'll say when I get there (very time consuming and exciting/scary)

I used to do a 3 hr drive every weekend to see DGF when we were first seeing each other. I tell ya, 6pm after work was always way easier than 6am before work.

Have fun on your trip.

[Trek420]

Do all the above and if you get really tired pull over somewhere (very safe) and rest. Better late then get in a crash of some sort.

Drive safely.

[Geonz]

Learned from another rider: hold my breath for about a minute a few times. I don't usually get tired, though; I make up really stupid movies in my head, or write songs or decide what I'm going to do with my life

[Bikingmomof3]

I am the worst person to go on long trips with, or so I have been told. DH drives and I am usually asleep within 5 minutes of highway driving. The motion of a car puts me right to sleep.

[snapdragen]

I revisit Marilyn Manson

Mini drift: When my best friend found out I had Marilyn Manson cd's she said "Does your mother know!?!?" I was in my 40's at the time...

Back on topic: Knot - I usually have to stop somewhere for coffee and walk around a bit on long drives. Otherwise I get too sleepy.

[doc]

I get hypnotized by the road really easily. I fell asleep in the middle of the day - with the cruise control on 70mph - driving home from vermont. That was super scary but obviously it wasn't "my time". I bumped around in the grassy median which woke me up fast! There were no other cars on the road in either direction so I didn't hit anything drifting into the median or panicking and flying back out of the median and crossing all of the lanes to get to the right.

Unfortunately, talking on the cell phone -hands free - is the only thing that keeps me truly awake.

I try not to have to drive more than 2 hours. After 2 hours I'm going to be in trouble.

[uk elephant]

I blast the music and sing along. And I drink lots of water, then stop for a pee. And I munch sour patch kids, or candy crack as BF and I came to call it. Once we started eating them on one of our road trips we just couldn't stop. And all that sugar made us both way too hyper.

[DebW]

I go with cold air in the face and sometimes sing (but only when alone). Just got back after a 3 hour drive home from Vermont. I'd much rather do the drive in the morning than late at night. So I'll often spend a night somewhere rather than drive late at night. I've never fallen asleep driving, and I don't use caffeine. But I once fell asleep on my bike. I did not crash but woke up to find that I was heading straight for a concrete bench.

[KnottedYet]

Deb, you fell asleep on your BIKE? Wow, you are talented!

Good thing you woke up before the bench!