Posted on October 07, 2008 by Fiona Hilliard

• Ensure you get plenty of sleep before taking a long journey.  Drive during times of the day when you’re normally awake and stay somewhere overnight rather than driving through the night.

• Drive at times when you’d normally be awake.  Take a mid-afternoon break during the day and find somewhere comfortable to sleep between midnight and 6am.

• Schedule a small break at least once every two hours or whenever you begin to feel sleepy.  During your scheduled break, get out of your vehicle and take a walk or some form of light exercise that will keep you alert.  If you begin to feel sleepy take a nap.

• When you feel like you need a nap, don’t wait.  Look for a safe place and pull over.  Don’t let yourself fall into the habit of napping in the driver’s seat and avoid napping for longer than 40 minutes.  Naps that last longer than 40 minutes can leave you feeling disorientated for up to 10 to 15 minutes after you wake up.

• Eat Well:  Eat sensibly but avoid large meals.  They can make you drowsy, especially at lunchtime.

• Keep hydrated.  Caffeine drinks including tea, coffee and cola drinks can help you to stay alert but they also take time to kick-in.  Research has shown that a 20-minute nap combined with drinking a caffeinated drink improves short-term alertness.

• Plenty of Fresh Air:  It’s much easier to stay alert when you’ve got fresh air blowing into your vehicle.  If you’re travelling on a long journey it’s a lot healthier than using the re-circulated air function.

• Share Driving: If you’ve got a co-pilot, share the driving as often as you can.

• In-Car Entertainment: The radio, your favourite driving music or simple conversation can help you stay alert on short journeys. On longer journeys, it’s imperative that you stop and rest.

• Avoid medication that causes drowsiness:  Don’t take any form of medication that leads to drowsiness.  These include antihistamines, travel sickness tablets, sleeping tablets, some cold and flu remedies and pain killers.  Always read the patient information leaflet included.  If you’re unsure, ask your pharmacist.