How to Drive on the Highway at Night and Not Get Tired: Life Hacks for Long Trips
The night highway is a special world. Fewer cars, its own atmosphere, but also its own challenges. The main one is fatigue, which creeps up unnoticed and can play a cruel trick. Long trips in the dark require not only endurance but also a competent approach.
This article is your co-pilot in the world of night roads. We've collected life hacks that will help you stay alert, attentive, and reach your destination comfortably and without unnecessary stress.
1. The magic of proper seating position
Forget the "slouched and driving" pose. Your body is your main tool in the fight against fatigue.
Adjust the seatback so that it supports your lower back. The optimal angle is just over 90 degrees. This will ensure good blood circulation.
You should be able to reach the steering wheel easily, with your arms bent at the elbows at about a 90–120 degree angle when holding the upper part of the wheel. Legs pressing the pedals should also remain slightly bent at the knees. This reduces strain on the joints.
You should have a good view of the road and instruments, but your head should not be touching the ceiling. There should be about 4–5 fingers' worth of space between your head and the roof.
The headrest should be at the level of the back of your head or slightly higher, with minimal distance from it. This is not only comfort, but safety in case of sudden braking or a rear-end collision.
Don’t stay frozen in one position. From time to time, slightly change the position of your hands on the wheel, move your shoulders, and make circular movements with your feet. This helps get your blood moving and relieves tension.
2. Manage lighting wisely
At night, your eyes are working at their limit. Help them out.
Turn on high beams whenever possible — on empty stretches of road. But immediately switch to low beams when oncoming or overtaking cars appear, to avoid blinding other drivers. Blinding others creates a dangerous situation.
Dirty headlights "eat up" up to half the light output. Before a night trip, be sure to wipe them. Don’t forget about the windshield — it should be clean both outside and inside from dust and film.
Too bright an instrument panel light strains the eyes and distracts. Set it to the minimum comfortable brightness. Modern cars often have a "night mode" for the instrument panel — use it.
If an oncoming car blinds you with high beams, don’t look at its lights. Shift your gaze to the right edge of the road or the road markings. This helps maintain orientation.
Use fog lights only in fog, heavy rain, or snowfall, when they truly improve visibility. In clear weather, they can blind others.
3. Caffeine boost: drink wisely
Coffee or an energy drink is a popular companion for night drives, but there are nuances. It's important to remember that caffeine doesn't kick in immediately, but about 20–40 minutes after consumption, so it's best to drink a cup of coffee or a can of an energy drink before the first signs of fatigue, not when you're already nodding off.
The dose also matters: one or two cups of coffee or one energy drink is usually enough. If you overdo it, you might experience nervousness, rapid heartbeat, and then a sharp drop in energy when the effect wears off. Don’t forget that caffeine is a diuretic, so to avoid dehydration—which itself causes fatigue—drink plenty of clean water.
Additionally, light snacks like fruits or nuts help maintain energy. Avoid heavy and fatty foods, as they cause drowsiness. And most importantly — remember the temporary nature of caffeine: it only masks fatigue, but doesn't eliminate the cause, so don't rely on it alone, especially if you're facing a very long drive.
4. Staying alert and fighting microsleep
Monotonous night roads lull you to sleep, and your task is not to give in. It's important not to fix your gaze on one point, but to constantly "scan" the road ahead, glance at the rearview and side mirrors, and monitor signs, markings, and the roadside environment. If road conditions and rules allow, you can slightly vary your speed within the legal range — this prevents the brain from "falling asleep."
Talking with a passenger is a great way to stay awake. If you're driving alone, turn on upbeat music (but not too loud so you can hear outside sounds), or an interesting podcast or audiobook. The main thing is that the content should be engaging, not relaxing.
Watch for signs of microsleep: if your eyelids feel heavy, you start blinking frequently or, conversely, stare blankly, nod your head unintentionally, can't recall the last few kilometers, or the car starts to "drift" in the lane — that’s it. The main rule when experiencing microsleep: stop immediately! Don’t try to "make it" to the next gas station or destination — immediately look for a safe place to stop, like a designated pull-off area or a well-lit roadside away from traffic.
If you can stop safely, a 15–20 minute so-called power nap can work wonders. Set an alarm so you don’t oversleep, or you'll risk waking up feeling even more sluggish. An interesting life hack: drink coffee right before this short nap — it will start to work as you wake up.
5. Windshield must be perfectly clean
Be sure to wipe the glass with a clean cloth before the trip.
Don’t forget that eye strain increases at night, vision weakens due to prolonged tension, so a clean windshield is a necessary safety measure.
6. Your phone must be fully charged
Anything can happen on the road, and relying on help from passing cars, especially on highways, is pointless. It's quite possible that you won’t see a single car for several hours.
7. Equip yourself with everything to stay awake
To avoid falling asleep at the wheel, have various energizing drinks on hand (energy drinks, coffee — whatever works for you...) and ideally drive with cheerful, rhythmic music.
8. Don’t forget your parking or hazard lights
Stopping on unlit sections of the road requires the driver to turn on the parking lights to mark their vehicle so that others can see it in the dark and avoid a collision.
9. Lower speed than during the day
At night, speed is limited by visibility conditions: it should definitely be lower than during the day. In the dark, road conditions, oncoming vehicles, and obstacles are harder to see, and with increased speed comes a longer braking distance.
10. Beware of sudden headlight glare
High beams improve visibility but are dangerous for oncoming drivers.
At night, especially outside populated areas, glare is even more dangerous. High speed, drowsiness, and eye strain combined with the lack of natural light increase the risk of an accident.
To avoid an accident, try to stay on the far right side, don’t drive fast, and don’t look directly at oncoming headlights (better to look slightly to the right). On multi-lane roads, don’t forget to increase the side clearance.
11. Avoid frequent lane changes and maneuvers
Speeding and skillful maneuvering from lane to lane at night is extremely dangerous.
The smart option is to follow the car ahead, keeping a safe distance. The lead driver sees the road situation better and evaluates it more clearly, and copying their trajectory increases safety.
12. Watch out for large trucks
The rules of behavior when meeting trucks are simple — increase the side gap and reduce speed.
Never try to outmaneuver a truck — it's better to calmly pass and avoid a collision, which can be fatal.
Night drives can be comfortable and even pleasant if approached wisely. The main thing is your well-being and safety. Don’t be a hero if you feel tired. Better to arrive an hour later than not arrive at all. Listen to your body, use our tips, and may your night roads always be bright and safe!
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