Have you ever been sleepy while driving? What will you do?

A car  - A car on a high way
India
September 21, 2009 1:18pm CST
Dear Mylotters, Hope everyone had gone for a long drive in our cars. We automatically feel sleepy on a straight long drive with an air-conditioned car inside. [b]What will you do at that time? Will you stop the car and wash your face? Or would you chew a chewing gum? Or will you listen to a loud music? What is source of remedy for this problem? [/b] I was watching Mr.Bean's holiday recently and it was really funny while he was driving the car and I laughed like anything 'cause I too have come across those situations of uncontrolled sleep while driving... Please share your thoughts.... Cheers... Have a good day always...
5 people like this
34 responses
@JamesKYTan (1605)
• Malaysia
22 Sep 09
I always drive long distance due to my job requirement. Oh yes, I do felt sleepy especially after heavy lunch. Driving with full stomach on a hot sunny day is really sleepy. What I do is quickly go to the nearby rest area for a nap about 20-30 minutes. After that wake up, wash my face, drink water and do some strectching exeercises. It do help...
1 person likes this
• Malaysia
22 Sep 09
Eh, I forgot to mention in my earlier post. I was on the way back from one outing with my wife and son. We stopped at the lights and as soon as it turned green, I immediately turned right,and at that momentarily instant I dozed off and hit the road divider. The bang jotted me up.The hub cap of the right front wheel was damaged. Oh! What a startling experience!
1 person likes this
• India
22 Sep 09
Dear JamesKYTan, Well said and it is true as we really get asleep on a hot sunny day and with a full stomach. Taking a nap will really do for a long drive... Cheers... have a nice day.. [b] P.S: [/b]The photo you have commented was taken on a place called "munnar" in our country. It is really a wealthy place of nature..
1 person likes this
@robert19ph (4577)
• Philippines
22 Sep 09
hello phillip_shiny, i remember once when my family and i were heading to sea world in san antonio, i was the only one in the family who knows how to drive. we came from dallas then and so we left so early so we can arrive there before it will open. there was no problem at all in going there but going back i can't control my sleep anymore but still driving. everyone was sleeping that time without even me noticed that i was driving while sleeping too. we almost got wreck and luckily not. and because of that, we stopped for a while and have some rest. that was the first time that happened to us. we're so thankful that nothing bad happened to us.
• Philippines
22 Sep 09
• India
22 Sep 09
Dear robert19ph, Good to hear that you were lucky and safe at that time. when I was reading your response I too have a incident when me and my family went for a picnic and we rented a transport and the driver was driving since the night before. Suddenly the vehicle moved away from the road and my uncle shouted to wake the driver up and we were all safe by the grace of God. Thanks for responding to this discussion...Cheers Have a nice day always....
1 person likes this
@xchyler (258)
• Philippines
22 Sep 09
hi phillip_shiny!!! I never experienced that kind of situation because I don't drive but my husband experience it already he drives and he is so sleepy at that time he almost crush his motorcycle.I thank GOD that no happens to him. GOD BLESS xchyler
• India
22 Sep 09
Dear xchyler, Thats really a lucky moment. Nice to hear that.. Thanks for responding to this discussion,.... Cheers.. have a nice day....
@Iriene88 (5343)
• Malaysia
22 Sep 09
Dear Phillip, I was driving interstate to work 9 years ago. The journey going is about 45 minutes but in the evening due to jam, it can takes up to 75 minutes. So, at certain point , certain location, I will automatically yawn to grasp more oxygen I guess. Really felt very sleepy! Since it is another 10-20 minutes to reach home, I will on the radio louder and focus on the road again. It happens for 3 years..until I resigned from the job and decided to work nearby from home.
@Iriene88 (5343)
• Malaysia
23 Sep 09
Dear Phillip, It is such a blessing to find a new job with transport provided. God is indeed very good to you. God Bless you with a company cab to pick and send you, this will allow you more time to rest and you can focus better in your job. All Glory to God
• India
22 Sep 09
Dear Iriene, Thats really nice to read that. I too traveled in my bike during my previous job and when I were in the nights shifts I was driving home very sleepy and at those moments, I use to drive fast to avoid my sleepiness. After that I was into a new job where company cab came to pick me and drop me at my home... Cheers.. Have a nice day..
1 person likes this
@mohitseth (568)
• India
22 Sep 09
no it never happened with me. but my cousin once slept while driving his car and he crashed into a tree where he hospitalised himself for 3 months
• India
22 Sep 09
Dear mohitseth, Thats really sad... It is very dangerous to drive sleepy... Thanks for responding.. Happy mylotting... Cheers
• India
22 Sep 09
Feeling sleepy in a long drive is so common which occurs due to more strain on the body, it is better to stop the vehicle a side when any one feel little drowsy and wash the face, and also more than one person is traveling if may not get that much sleepy, so better to travel two persons minimum in a long ride...
• India
22 Sep 09
Really a nice comment indeed. It is really a better to travel with two than to travel alone... Cheers... Happy mylotting....
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
24 Sep 09
I have been sleepy while driving many times. I would have to drive home facing the sun alot of times. I hated it. It made me very sleepy when I was already tired as it was. I drove on home because I did not have time to stop and take a nap. I had to get home for my daughter to get in the house from school.
@jheLaichie (4438)
• Philippines
21 Sep 09
oh! dear! you are one of us... you are one of the yellow family as well my friend... i just love that... anyways, when i was driving on a very long boring road. then tend to be sleepy. i would directly put my rock cd on. to keep the surroundings upbeat. but if i cannot hold on any longer. its better that i would find a nice place on th side of the road wherein i could get a little nap. i would find a municipality or a small town where i think i coul dnot be harass or something then take a quick quite nap... and when i am awake... then goes another long journey for me... jhelai
• India
22 Sep 09
Dear jheLaichie, Really yellow avatar are quite attractive that why I too got attracted to that... Taking a nap will really be a great way to have a better drive for a long distance travel.. Nice response.. Thanks for posting.. Have a nice day always... Cheers...
@shia88 (4571)
• Malaysia
22 Sep 09
Hi Phillip_Shiny, I never feel sleepy while driving. I love driving,that is the time where I can out for shopping and get a fresh air,so how can I feel sleepy since I am in my good mood. It is very dangerous to drive a car while you feel sleepy.The best is to stop driving and get a cup of iced Milo/soft drink and wash your face. You can also on some music or get a friend to accompany you while driving. At least you can chit chat with your friend in the car when you are driving. Happy MyLotting !
• India
22 Sep 09
Dear shia88, Really a nice suggestion. Accompany a friend while driving is really fine when on a long distance travel. As you are enjoying your driving, I hope you never feel sleepy...Thanks for the response ... Have a nice day always... Cheers
• United States
21 Sep 09
In the past, whenever i have felt drowsiness settling in while driving, there are a few things i would do to wake myself up. Rolling down the window and letting the breeze blow on me always helps, along with putting on livley music, something that i can sing along to or that makes me want to dance (granted you can't dance in a car, but it keeps me awake) If even those things don't work and i am still feeling drowsy form being in the car for too long, i will find a store, like a 24 hour convenience store or something, and get out, walk around, strech, get some fresh air and the blood moving in my veins a little more, this always wakes me up a little more.
• India
22 Sep 09
Dear fruitcakeliz, Really nice to hear that. Some of tthe nice preventive measures while feeling sleepy on a drive.. Appreciate it... Cheers... Have a nice day always...
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
21 Sep 09
Wow, it has been a long time since I've had this happen to me. A very, very long time, but I remember exactly what I did. It was about 3 o'clock in the morning and we'd just gotten home from a swim meet four hours away from home (we were in a bus for that). Then, we had to go from the school where the bus let us off to our home. I had four of my really close friends with me. It was January and it was very cold outside. We drove home with all of the windows of the car open and we blasted the radio as loud as was legally possible for that time of night. As far as getting sleepy on a long drive though, I will stop for a while and take a break from driving, or else let someone else in the car take a turn driving for a while.
• India
22 Sep 09
Dear dorannmwin, Really swapping the drive among our fellow passengers really works out for a sleepy drive. I too have tried it... Thanks for the response.. Cheers..Have a nice day always...
• United States
21 Sep 09
When my boyfriend was in the military I used to pick him up and drop him off at base twice a week and it was about an hour 1/2 drive each time. And sometimes I would drop him off at about midnight so I wouldn't be going home until late. And to make matters worse, it was a long, windy road out in the middle of no where. It used to really scare me when I would drift off while I was driving. Especially because I couldn't control it most of the time! I tried loud music, didn't always work, I tried keeping my eyes open,didn't work. But what always helped was when I would roll down the window to get hit with cold air. It sucked having to do that but it always got me m ore conscious. But yeah, those were scary times for me.
• India
22 Sep 09
Dear phoenix1344, Really I can imagine the thing you said. It will be really scary and also not to mention, if something happened to our vehicle it will be more scary... Hope you were safe at those moments... Cheers... Have a nice day always...
• United States
21 Sep 09
I have, in the past resorted to many things to keep me awake while driving. My remedies include, but are not limited to, things such as rolling down all the windows so the air is blowing in my face, cranking the air up to high so I am too cold to be sleepy, and blasting the radio and singing along with the songs. Coffee works pretty good, too. Now that I am a mom, and most always have precious cargo strapped into the back seat, I try not to drive while feeling sleepy, though. The last thing I need is to get into an accident that could have been avoided by something as simple as resting before I got behind the wheel. I would never forgive myself for something like that!
• India
22 Sep 09
Really good to have preventive measure avoiding those kinda situations... Nice to hear that.... Thanks for responding.... Have a nice day always...
@artistry (4152)
• United States
21 Sep 09
....Hi phillip_shiny, very dangerous if you fall asleep while driving. I used to have a job which required a lot of driving, and coming home one night I just about drove into a ditch near my home. I could not keep my eyes open any more. So I survived, but before that I would open my window and let the wind blow on my face. Sometimes I would turn the radio up loud, or try to eat hard candy. But the best thing to do is to stop and take a short nap, well off the side of the road or in a parking lot. You should not push yourself too far when you feel sleep coming on. Take care.
• India
22 Sep 09
Dear artistry, Nice suggestion. Taking a nap is really a nice way to avoid accidents due to sleepy drive. Thanks for posting your response .... Have a nice day...Cheers
@wmaths (566)
• Italy
22 Sep 09
if i feel tired while i am driving, i stop my car and have a rest. anyway i generally drive if i have slept a lot the night before. othervise i wouldn't do it.
@bmorehouse1 (1028)
• United States
22 Sep 09
I have gotten real sleepy driving the car. That can be very dangerous. I have read that sometimes sleep just overtakes your body - its an automatic reaction that you have no control over after a certain point. I usually roll down the window and take deep breaths. Sometimes I have to stop the car and just get out and walk around a bit. I have a co-worker that fell asleep and wrecked her car. She was only a few miles from home. After that happened I take more notice of getting sleepy and doing something about it.
@doryvien (2284)
• United States
22 Sep 09
When I feel sleepy while driving I turn the volume or the radio on high, but not too loud not to know what's happening outside the car. I also sometimes get some menthol candy or a chewing gum and chew it, the cool taste of menthol somehow keeps me awake.
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
22 Sep 09
I have had times when I felt sleepy driving. Sometimes just pulling off the raod for a short break helps. If i can't leave the car and must keep driving, I have something else that helps to keep me alert. I put a cd in the player and sing a long. It keeps my mind on something else besides feeling sleepy. Have you tried this too?
• Italy
22 Sep 09
well...sometimes i felt very sleepy while driving, especially at 4.00 a.m. teturnig a t home!for me the best way to keep myself awake is listenign to very loud music...something of very strong like Pantera or Children Of Bodom...but if you don't like heavy metal...maybe it's not the best method and i'll suggest you to eat something sweet or drink some coffe...but overall to be very concentrated on driving!!!
• United States
22 Sep 09
I would turn on music...maybe have a snack ,call someone and have them just talk to me. Blast some cool air or roll down the window. Maybe just stop the car for a while. In the winter..I find it hard to stay awake on a long drive if the heat is on ..or its very quiet.