the absolute best thing to stay awake is eatting sunflower seeds in the shells. somethign about deshelling them with your teeth and tongue makes you alert...it is weird but works everytime.
Sunflower seeds are the greatest way to stay awake while driving. David and Sons are too salty--you get lip burns on too long of a trip (also you have to eat too many bitter worms) Frito-Lay are pretty good. Wal-Mart--dreadful! Switched to Spitz brand on recommendation from a highway patrol accident investigator. (We were talking about how good sf seeds are at keeping you awake.) Spitz seeds are plump, tasty and virtually worm-free (maybe because they're a Canadian product and worms don't live that far north????