As a New Jersey resident who spends any amount of time behind the wheel, you’ve likely heard of plenty of tips and tricks that are meant to help keep you awake while you’re driving. However, some of these popular and supposedly helpful tips don’t actually work at all.
WebMD focuses on some of these myths and debunks them so that drivers can safely and effectively combat driver’s fatigue without trying to rely on tips that don’t work. In fact, the two most popular methods of staying awake don’t actually have much of an impact. This includes keeping your car “cold”, either through rolling down the windows or blasting the AC, and turning up the radio. Neither temperature nor sound has much of an impact on a sleepy person. If you feel yourself dozing off, chances are high that your body’s desire to snooze will outweigh how much impact a loud noise or cold air will have.
Additionally, even drinking caffeine may not help like you think it will. Caffeine takes a while to kick in, so you can’t down a cup and drive immediately after. It won’t actually take away your fatigue, either. It simply delays it for a short period of time, and that period can vary greatly from person to person.
Finally, understand that no amount of repetition can get your body “used” to driving on fewer hours of sleep. Even if your schedule demands it of you, your body does not truly adjust and still requires 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night to function properly. In the end, being well-rested before a drive is the best way to prevent fatigue at the wheel.