10 Ways to Stay Awake While Road Tripping

This is one of the biggest challenges for road trippers, especially if you’re on a long distance road trip, or need to make it somewhere on a certain date or time.

For many road trippers, it’s not the tiredness that gets us, it’s the constant driving… especially on a long interstate with no stops.

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I’ve been road tripping for several years now, and have learned what really works for me. Today I share some tips that have worked for me over the years, and will hopefully work for you as well:

Shift your hips

This is a great thing to do while driving long distances. It helps keep your hips awake, and keeping you entertained while driving.

Get out and stretch

This is an important thing to do every few hours. We often try to plan little stops at various attractions, or state signs just to get out of the car and stretch our legs. Gas stations are also a great opportunity to stretch, even if you’re not the one driving or pumping gas. This short break will help you continue on the road.

Coffee

Believe it or not, I’ve only just started drinking coffee last year, and it’s delicious. Sometimes I just need that little pick-me-up to keep me going, and I find coffee does the trick.

Techno or dance music

Maybe country is your thing, but there`s nothing like blaring your favorite cd in the car to keep you going. I can`t help but love techno music (I seem to be the only one in my car that does). I find really fast, upbeat music helps keep my mind going.

Crank the A/C

I personally hate being cold, but I find the A/C (or even having the window down) keeps me awake and alert.

Go for a jog

When you’re sitting in a car for days at a time, sometimes a little jog around the parking lot helps to get re-energized before hitting the road again. I often do this when we stop for gas. Trust me, this helps. Just watch out for other cars.

Stop and shower

I`ve mentioned this before in a previous blog post. Showering while road tripping can be challenging at times, especially if you`re not staying in hotels along the way. We often find local rec centers or gyms that allow drop-ins, and go in for a nice shower. We always feel fresh and clean after a nice shower, and are usually thrilled to hit the road again.

Sing while driving

This is a great source of entertainment while driving long hours, and it`s fun.  I also do this because there`s nothing funnier than driving up beside a car full of girls on a road trip who are singing at the top of their lungs.

Play road trip games

If you’re traveling with someone, they can help keep you entertained while driving. Many road trippers choose to play games like “spot that” or “I spy.” We like to keep an eye out for different license plates. It’s fun when you find someone from Alaska all the way down in Florida. 

Snack more

Having a large heavy meal then hitting the road will leave you feeling full and tired. If you eat smaller meals, this helps with the fatigue. I also find if you eat smaller meals, you can snack on the road. A personal trick that works for me is munching on things like corn nuts or even grapes. It`s the constant motion of picking up something and eating it, this gives me something to do while driving.

Do you have any fun tricks that help you stay awake while road tripping? Share your tricks with us in the comment section below.