9 Tips Not To Fall Asleep While Driving

Falling asleep while driving can be deadly. Traveling by car from one city to another can save us the cost of a plane ticket, but we must be prepared to get tired behind the wheel.

It is necessary to prepare ourselves, limit elements that make us drowsy on the road and stay alert. These are some tips to keep in mind to avoid falling asleep while driving:

1. A long break before you do not fall asleep while driving

If we plan to travel long distances, an excellent recommendation is to take a long break of at least 7 hours prior to the tour. Sleeping well will help us stay alert for the next few hours.

It is proven that people who sleep little at night are three times more likely to develop a lack of concentration the next day, as indicated by the European Union Commission for Mobility and Transport. Thus, under a state of fatigue, our ability to maneuver and respond can be affected on the road.

2. Eat light during the trip

Drivers who take long trips and eat heavy meals midway are more likely to fall asleep even during the day.

Eating red meat and complex carbohydrates in large amounts will lead to heavier digestion. Thus, this is more likely to induce us to sleep.

The problem is that the digestive process will require a greater amount of energy and there will be a tendency to drowsiness. A balanced lunch could save our lives.

3. The need to make a good breakfast

The first meal of the day is energetic and offers us the necessary boost to maintain our psychological and physical faculties in full.

Thus, a meal full of proteins, carbohydrates and minerals will keep us alert during the first half of the day.

4. Good ventilation

Driving without air conditioning or in heat limits the amount of oxygen and this will contribute to our feeling the need to sleep.

On the other hand, a mild thermal sensation will help us stay on our toes. Thus, it is vital to eliminate all external factors that can cause exhaustion or drowsiness.

Added to this, exposing ourselves to intense heat can cause:

• Changes in our tension.
• Dizziness
• Sickness.
• Complicated clinical pictures.

All of these factors can increase the likelihood of losing control when driving the car.

5. Rest stops

Keeping your eyes fixed for a long time generates a waste of energy and natural fatigue. Thus, a good way to avoid it is to make small stops to reduce stress and breathe some fresh air.

Today it is known that taking regular breaks increases our attention and brain activity. A 10 or 15 minute break every two hours of driving will clear the view, thus favoring a better response in terms of reflexes.

6. Go at a moderate speed

Driving at high speeds forces us to avoid other vehicles and stay alert. This sharpens our senses and the manifestations of fatigue will be present more quickly. Therefore, it is better to go at a moderate speed to demand less of ourselves.

7. Avoid driving from 2 to 5 in the morning so as not to fall asleep while driving

The human body feels a more intense sleep between 2 and 5 in the morning. And is that our body is used to entering intense relaxation phases during these hours.

In this period occurs the stage of REM sleep, or deep wave. In that time slot our nervous system tends to relax, thus increasing the level of risk behind the wheel.

8. Alcohol could make us sleepy

We already know very well the reasons why we cannot drive under the influence of alcohol. In addition, alcohol in low amounts has sedative and inhibitory effects on the body. That is why it is quite common to feel a little sleepy after taking it.

Liquors such as beer affect GABA, a neurotransmitter substance that contributes to the regulation of anxiety states. The result: loss of the necessary alertness when driving on the road. On the other hand, the consumption of antidepressants, sleeping pills and allergy drugs will be just as harmful.

Thus, it will be even more dangerous if a combination of alcohol with any of these drugs is given. According to Gerhard Heinze, head of the Division of Clinical Investigations of the Mexican Institute of Psychiatry, when alcohol is combined with analgesics, tranquilizers and hypnotics, there is a synergism of the depressant effects and, therefore, motor ability decreases.

9. Bring a good co-pilot to avoid falling asleep while driving

Staying awake will be easy if we incorporate a chatty co-pilot to accompany us into our trip . Especially when driving late at night.

Our companion can warn us about any road incident, alert us if we begin to notice the dream and even take turns driving.

It is important that the person next to us does not fall asleep. Otherwise, the driver’s chances of feeling sleepy will increase.

Do you take these recommendations into account so as not to fall asleep while driving? We invite you to carry them out and thus protect your life and that of others as much as possible. Be responsible on the road!