How to Stay Awake While Driving at Night

 We have all driven at night, your tired, your not alert. I can give some good tips to stay awake and alert, to arrive at your destination alive and well. So you know that I know of which I speak, I was a delivery driver for 7 years working from Midnight to 8 am. Some nights I drove over 400 miles, after loading the company products on the truck. 

The first thing to do if you know you have a long trip to drive is get plenty of rest. The more rested when you start, the better you will feel. This can be difficult if you need to try to sleep during the day when your usually awake, but you should try. If you know several days in advance, of a long driving trip, try to change your sleep/awake time to get your body used to the time you will be doing the driving. 

Here are some of the things you can do while driving on the trip . Try to have somebody with you if possible, even if they don't share the driving. Having somebody to watch you and make sure your alert is a big plus. Also talking to them will keep you more alert. They won't help you much if they are curled up asleep next to you. 

Now a big help in being alert is a radio, CD player or whatever you have. Play music and play it at different volumes, turn it up a while, then lower it. You don't want to get used to it, or it can drone you out. I find it's best to play music, that I don't like. If your annoyed it helps you stay awake. 

Another good thing for me is either the AC blowing cold and or the window being down. For me the window downs works better, because of wind blowing in my face, keeps me awake. If it's raining it works even better to crack the window, if your wet it's easier to stay alert. 

Also plan ahead for rest stops if possible and account for that in your expected travel time. If you stop the car and get out and walk around a bit, when tired, it gets the blood flowing again, thus making you more alert. Don't just stop and sit in the car, get out and move around briskly. Move your arms around a lot, maybe even do some Jumping Jacks to get going again.