Who doesn’t love a fun road trip? If you plan to travel a long distance by car, then you’re probably preparing yourself with water, snacks, and great music. All these things will enhance your trip, but you should also be preparing to stay awake and alert while you’re driving to ensure your own safety and the safety of your passengers. If you know you’re taking a long road trip and aren’t quite sure how to stay awake and safe for the entire journey, it’s a good idea to follow these precautions to avoid drowsiness.
On long trips you can prevent drowsiness by trying these 10 great hacks:
1. Get enough sleep beforehand
Before getting behind the wheel on long trips, you can prevent drowsiness by planning ahead to get your recommended 7-9 hours of sleep. If you have trouble with this, try the following:
- Maintaining consistent bedtimes each day
- Refraining from using electronic devices like cell phones and other devices within a half-hour of bedtime
- Avoiding alcohol and caffeine before bedtime
- Ensuring your sleeping space is dark, quiet, and cool
Before your trip, taking a quick 20-minute nap can still give you the REM and slow-wave sleep you need, and it can be especially helpful and refreshing if you’re leaving later in the day. You can even take this a step further by planning your trip around the times you’re most sleepy (for most people, this is typically late afternoon and between 12 am and 6 am).
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2. Take breaks and naps
On long trips you can prevent drowsiness by sharing the driving with someone else, if possible. This will give you breaks during which you can nap. Either way, take a full stop every two hours or so for a long nap or just to stretch your legs and reset.
On Long Trips You Can Prevent Drowsiness by Following These Hacks is an original (HealthXWire) article.
3. Account for medical or health issues
If you have a sleep disorder or are on certain medications that can cause drowsiness, be sure to consider this when planning your trip. Adjust accordingly, whether that means sharing the driving, taking extra time, or driving only during certain times of day.
4. Move around
If you’re very tired, on long trips you can prevent drowsiness by doing some light exercise when you stop. For example, take a power walk or do some jumping jacks. This, plus the fresh air, will re-energize you and help get your heart pumping.
5. Put on some tunes or other entertainment
Engaging (or even singing along) with some upbeat music or listening to an audiobook or a podcast episode will stimulate your brain to stay awake and alert longer.
6. Eat and drink the right things
If you’re dehydrated, you can become tired, so you’ll want to hydrate with enough water (but you need to balance this with frequent bathroom stops since you may not have the opportunity to stop for many miles). Also, healthy snacks like apples, bananas, celery, and carrots are great options.
On Long Trips You Can Prevent Drowsiness by Following These Hacks is the (HealthXWire) report.
7. Grab a coffee or caffeinated beverage
You may rely on caffeine as a stimulant to get you through your day, and it can certainly help on long drives. In fact, on long trips you can prevent drowsiness by drinking just a single cup of coffee – it’s been found to lessen sleep deprivation effects that bring on drowsiness when you drive. This is shown in a study that found 200 milligrams of caffeine and a nap of under 15 minutes can eliminate mid-afternoon drowsiness for an hour.
8. Set the mood and temperature
The right lighting is key, especially on a sunny day. If you’re getting direct glare from sunlight, you’ll want to wear sunglasses or put your visor down for shade. This is because squinting for too long fatigues the eyes and can cause drowsiness. Also, keep the temperature on the cooler side – being too warm can make you sleepy.
9. Pull over when you need to
If you find you’re drifting, hitting the rumble strip, being honked at, feeling heavy eyelids, or some other indication that you’re beyond just a little tired, you need to pull over and stop driving for your own protection and the protection of those around you. Find a quiet spot to safely park, lock the doors, and remove the key from the ignition. Sleep for about 15-20 minutes or longer if you have the time.
[This article “On Long Trips You Can Prevent Drowsiness by Following These Hacks” is published on HealthXWire]
10. Enhance all of these great hacks with an energy supplement
Each day our bodies go through wakefulness cycles called diurnal patterns, which have peaks and valleys. These cycles negatively impact how we feel and think, which can be dangerous on long trips if heavy fatigue sets in. Some supplements are designed to work with your biochemistry to mitigate these effects so you can feel better and more alert.
On long trips you can prevent drowsiness by taking a supplement like VOKE, which gives you the energy boost you may need on a long journey. This can be especially true if you haven’t been able to get consistently optimal sleep, diet, and exercise leading up to the road trip.
VOKE is a superfood chewable supplement designed for people on the go. This unique formula helps to clear and refresh your mind, and it gives you mental energy, focus, and clarity to pay attention to the road, navigate your way, or whatever task you might be doing. Each ingredient in the VOKE supplement has been found to boost productivity, moods, mental function and performance. These include:
- Whole guarana seed
- Red beetroot
- Acerola cherry
- Green tea leaf caffeine
Putting it all together…
Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or someone who is about to take their first long car trip, you need to take the necessary precautions to ensure a safe journey. One of the most important components of a safe car trip is an alert driver, and on long trips you can prevent drowsiness by trying our 10 great hacks. Taking breaks, getting light exercise, hydrating, drinking caffeine, and trying energy supplements like Voke can help you get moving in the right direction. Happy travels!
Further Resources For Reference:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Drowsy Driving: Asleep at the Wheel
University of Rochester Medical Center, Stay Awake Behind the Wheel
Cleveland Clinic, What’s the Best Way to Stay Awake When Driving?
Important Note: The information contained in this article (On Long Trips You Can Prevent Drowsiness by Following These Hacks) is for general informational purposes only, and should not be construed as health or medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or health condition. Before embarking on any diet or program of nutritional supplementation, it is advisable to consult your healthcare professional in order to determine its safety and probable efficacy in terms of your individual state of health.
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