Q. I sleep well at night, wake up refreshed and energetic and rarely feel tired or take naps. But when I drive for an hour or more, I become so sleepy that I have to pull over and take a 45-minute nap or risk crashing.
After I wake up, I’m alert and good to go. My mother and brother have the same problem; we call it “auto-narcolepsy” because the only time it happens is in the car (whether I’m a driver or a passenger). I would appreciate information about this problem.
A. You are certainly not alone. Others have also reported that driving or riding in the car makes them sleepy. We recently heard from a long-distance truck driver that eating sunflower seeds helps him stay alert on 12-hour trips. The mental concentration needed to crack the shell, extract the seed and spit out the residue seems to be enough to maintain alertness. It may also help that the seeds are rich in fat and protein rather than rapidly absorbed carbohydrate.
Over the years, other readers have shared their success with sunflower seeds:
“My mother wants to pass on her magic keeper-upper. Eating sunflowers in the shell while driving works like magic. The multi-tasking needed to consume them keeps you alert, but you need a cup to spit the shells into.”
