Fighting highway hypnosis

 I know this doesn’t really have to do with motorsports, but I was wondering what you guys do to fight hwy hypnosis. 

When does it go from being in a mental flow state to being in hwy hypnosis?

audiobooks

Slayer. 

About a month ago I did Cincinnati - San Fran and back in right around 6 days, trying not to use the same routes in the spirit of keeping the drive interestingbut also trying to eat as many miles as possible each day. For example, day one was Cinci to Cheyenne, WY, something like 17.5 hours. Not my smartest decision, but fun.

Books on audible, comedy podcasts, downloaded spotify playlists, and random phone calls helped. Having road snacks up front and a cooler of both caffeinated and non caffeinated drinks was clutch too. When things got too monotonous is when I would stop for gas and a stretch. Once I got back in the car I would switch up the audio and be good for another 2-3 hours. 

I often have to drive back from weddings very late or in the middle of the night. My desperation go to? Poweraide. I have no idea why, other than the sugar- but it wakes me right up. Also, podcasts are my go to. Keeping my brain interested keeps me awake. 

David S. Wallens said:

Slayer. 

I've driven to Slayer so much that it puts me to sleep.

firstworldproblems

David S. Wallens said:

Slayer. 

Usually do Pantera myself. A buddy recommends taking off your shoes... I tried that and it made me sleepy. 

KyAllroad (Jeremy) said:

audiobooks

This, especially a real 'page-turner' which keeps you engaged.  Keeping that part of my brain involved with the plot and characters seems to defeat tiredness.  

This is what I use for audio books:  https://www.hoopladigital.com/.  It is tied to your library card and you get 10 "checkouts" per month, put the app on my phone and listen away.  Hoopla also has movies, TV and music but with only 10 times per month they can go fast.  I also use https://librivox.org.  The books on there are public domain so its a lot of older stuff and it is all read by volunteers so sometimes its hard to sit through a book but there is quite a bit of good stuff there. 

If the books aren't cutting it then sunflower seeds to the rescue.  I learned about them in the Army as a way to stay awake.

Stand up comedy always worked well for me. Audio books are great as long as it's nothing that can get dreary or monotonous.  Podcasts are relatively  new to me, but they seem to work well too. Music works best for me if its something I know really well and sing (badly) along with the whole time. Basically anything that engages the brain and can't really be enjoyed as just 'background noise'.

Caffeine/cold water.  good podcast/hype music. Over the years though  best thing that helps me is to have window partly down. Wind in my face helps keep my awake, along with fidgeting my feet around.

Currently driving to Indianapolis.

Podcasts on interesting subjects are helping a lot.

I use "box breathing" to increase the amount of oxygen in my system, which wakes things up.

also: coffee, and 'crunchy things to eat'

I have been listening Joe Rogans podcast for the month or two. 

Older Euro cars had a great ventilation scheme that could be set to blow cold fresh air from the dash vents, while at the same time pumping heat through the defrost and/or floor vents. Works really well for staying alert when you need to have some sort of heat going to stay comfortable.

Beyond that, I find not doing anything the same way for too long is key. Change up the music (or turn it off periodically), the drinks, the snacks, even make minor adjustments to the seat. Mentally setting intermediary destinations helps too. Forget that you have 600 miles to go; just think about getting to that town that comes up in 25, then set another one, lather, rinse, repeat.

sleepyhead the buffalo said:

I use "box breathing" to increase the amount of oxygen in my system, which wakes things up.

also: coffee, and 'crunchy things to eat'

Getting out and jogging laps around a rest area or truck stop helps too.  Move oxygen through your system, get your blood pumping just a bit.

It's usually music for me, but it has to have enough going on.  I'm a guitarist and a singer, so I typically listen to music where I have to think about the lyrics and the guitar parts at the same time.  For me, Iron Maiden works. 

Pantera puts me to sleep. Literally. I fell asleep when I saw them live. While I have grown to appreciate them a little in recent years, I still wouldn't put them anywhere near the top of my listening list.

I have never gotten into podcasts, although a couple of YouTubers I follow puts out audio-only versions of their Q&A sessions, which is turning into a nice change of pace once in awhile.

Okay, true, I'm much more of a Death Angel fan. Lately I have been putting in the miles, many at night. What helps are albums that I really like--ones where every song is a 10. That keeps me engaged and looking foward to the next song. 

Adaptive cruise control and lane-departure.

Just kidding, I drive an old truck.

Slipknot and self-inflicted pain help me out.

Boston "Don't Look Back" turned up to 11

Slipknots first album was a goodie. Used to like some hatebreed for driving a bit. But im not that angry anymore. And aggressive music makes me drive aggressive and thats bad. 

I drive frequently for work and have just resigned to the fact that marathon drives are something best left in my 20’s. 1000+ mile days were a challenge but “fun”. Now i cap it at about 6 hours of driving a day, short of a emergency. More than that and im flying.  I get too tired, too bored and its just too much risk. Especially for work. I now enjoy the hotel pool/spa much more than pushing a few more hundred miles in.

Knurled. said:

David S. Wallens said:

Slayer. 

I've driven to Slayer so much that it puts me to sleep.

 

firstworldproblems

I get my best sleep behind the wheel with pantera.

Alternating coffee and cranberry juice does a lot - I think high vitamin C/absorbic acid with the coffee amplifies the effects.  Short term solution, but repeatable as often as needed.

Sunflower seeds are also amazing for staying awake. 

Along with all the rest, here.  

You can always fidgit with your hootus to stay awake.  Just don't finish or you'll really be asleep at the wheel!

Side thought: would 'Hootus' be a gender-neutral term? 

Another vote for All The Metals. If I catch myself drifting off, on goes the Thrash.