#106453 - 09/20/07 06:00 PM
Re: drowsiness while driving your car
[Re: thseng]
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Addict
Registered: 05/06/04
Posts: 604
Loc: Manhattan
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Exactly, often I find that I don't even necessarily need sleep when drowsiness sets in. Just getting out of the car, walking around and stretching or pulling over and closing my eyes for half an hour brings me back to wakefulness. This is after driving five or six hours, not being awake eighteen, though.
_________________________
A gentleman should always be able to break his fast in the manner of a gentleman where so ever he may find himself.--Good Omens
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#106512 - 09/21/07 03:15 AM
Re: drowsiness while driving your car
[Re: jshannon]
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Journeyman
Registered: 09/14/07
Posts: 56
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Once that fatigue hits in, and that fatigue turns into drowsiness, I believe the ONLY safe thing to do is to pull-over and catch a nap. It might last 5 minutes, or 30, or you might not be able to sleep but you would feel refreshed anyways.
When I was a teenager I remember driving home WAY too late and always feeling very drowsy. Nothing ever happened but it hit home one night when I noticed I didn't remember going through the last intersection (which was red).
It simply isn't worth it.
When the drowsiness hits, a 10 minute nap is faster than a hit of caffeine.
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#106517 - 09/21/07 04:21 AM
Re: drowsiness while driving your car
[Re: eric_2003]
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Geezer
Registered: 01/21/04
Posts: 5163
Loc: W. WA
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Do you know what really wakes you up when you're driving and thinking that it's time to pull over?
One is passing an accident on the freeway somewhere around Fresno about midnight, where a guy driving a station wagon fell asleep, went through the oleander shrub divider, and hit a semi head-on. The victim's wagon was buried under the truck halfway up the windshild. The driver of the semi was sitting on the ground beside his truck, his face on his knees and his arms wrapped around his head.
Pull over and rest. It just isn't worth it.
Sue
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#106557 - 09/21/07 06:02 PM
Re: drowsiness while driving your car
[Re: NightHiker]
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Rapscallion
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 02/06/04
Posts: 4020
Loc: Anchorage AK
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I am reminded of two incidents that tested my driving duration limits.
The first was while in dry-dock in Seattle Shipyards. I was heading home after getting about 3 hours sleep in 3 days (you try sleeping while someone's working on your house 24/7). I had to go about 70 miles to get home, through Seattle rush hour traffic. I was in a different world by the time I got home.
The second was on a non-stop from Seattle to Tucson AZ at Christmas. We left Seattle early morning, and I drove as far as I could. I got to Sacramento and hit late night fog. By then I'd been driving about 16 hours and the fog was so bad I could see maybe two car lengths in front of me. I just kept at 65 mph the whole time and tried to watch for red lights. Dad was asleep in the back seat, and little brother was sitting next to me too scared to sleep. I finally got to the top of the grapevine when my ears gave out and I rousted dad so he could drive through north LA at 4:30 am. I sacked for about 3 hours, then woke up and drove the rest of the way. 32 hours from Seattle to Tucson. I don't know what I was trying to prove.
_________________________
The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools.
-- Herbert Spencer, English Philosopher (1820-1903)
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#106558 - 09/21/07 06:04 PM
Re: drowsiness while driving your car
[Re: NightHiker]
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Old Hand
Registered: 07/10/05
Posts: 763
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I'd say your options are:
- Caffeine (my personal favorite), ingest to the point of random muscle twitching. Available via coffee, pills, gum, and energy drinks, and instant coffee crystals - just a pinch between your cheek & gums). Some people like to combine caffeine with nicotine for the additional vasoconstrictive/tachycardic effect but I'm a caffeine purist, I'm anxiously waiting for the day the FDA approves injectable caffeine for over-the-counter sale.
Since you may have concerns about the effect of caffeine on your health, you may be limited to:
- Plan your trips to remain in a 40 min radius of your home.
- Stop every 30-40 minutes to catch a cat nap or get out and walk around.
- Instead of drifting off to sleep, induce a state of self-hypnosis and "recondition" yourself to feel refreshed.
- Get somebody else to drive you.
If your engine noise is causing drowsiness try drowning it out with music that you find obnoxious (probably available free of charge somewhere on your FM dial).
In all seriousness, if this really is a constant occurrance, I'd strongly consider Matt26's thoughts about an exhaust leak.
my honda 1993 car has off market manifold that isn't well insulated from noise as well as Honda brand. Besides my car is old compare to new Honda models. It lacks interior insulation. I use ear plugs to reduce the noise but I can still hear the droning of engine noise. I am just wondering if something is wrong with my body. I did have a hearing test and the results indicated that my hearing is more sensitive on certain frequencies.
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#106567 - 09/21/07 06:58 PM
Re: drowsiness while driving your car
[Re: picard120]
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Rapscallion
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 02/06/04
Posts: 4020
Loc: Anchorage AK
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I think your body is fine. You are just susceptible to external stimulus is all, same as me. Sometimes it invigorates, sometimes it pacifies.
Something else I've tried with some success is language learning recordings.
_________________________
The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools.
-- Herbert Spencer, English Philosopher (1820-1903)
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#106621 - 09/22/07 02:59 AM
Re: drowsiness while driving your car
[Re: benjammin]
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Enthusiast
Registered: 09/27/05
Posts: 309
Loc: Vermont
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I listen to books on tape, I own several but the local library has hundreds! Try it.
_________________________
If it ain't bleeding, it doesn't hurt.
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#106622 - 09/22/07 03:06 AM
Re: drowsiness while driving your car
[Re: Matt26]
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Old Hand
Registered: 11/26/06
Posts: 724
Loc: Sterling, Virginia, United Sta...
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I listen to books on tape, I own several but the local library has hundreds! Try it. Heh, that would put me to sleep while driving, and I don’t normally have the driving drowsy problem. 
_________________________
“Hiking is just walking where it’s okay to pee. Sometimes old people hike by mistake.” — Demitri Martin
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