While driving alone on the treacherous, winding, cliff-edged road that takes travelers from Northern California to Lake Tahoe last week, my mother experienced a "small" problem.

She fell asleep behind the wheel.

I give my mother a lot of credit. She is 83 years young, feisty as all get-out and still an excellent driver. But she had not slept well the night before her trip and when she told me what happened, "only for a few moments," my heart stopped.

Mom was lucky. Nothing serious occurred during her brief lapse into REM. And according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 37 percent of the population have admitted to nodding off while driving.

The NHTSA suggests that the only true defense for drowsy driving is a great offense; drive well-rested and if you do become sleepy, pull over to rest if it is safe and possible.

But not everyone is quick to take this sage advice.

Members of the Web site Ehow.com were asked to weigh in anonymously with their best tips for staying awake while driving.

Among the expected suggestions are rolling down the windows, blasting the air conditioning, singing at the top of your lungs, crushing ice between your incisors or consuming caffeine.

There were a few answers given on the Ehow.com site that definitely deserve extra credit points. They are not recommended, but they certainly are creative:

• "Don't go to the bathroom - Ever tried to sleep when you have to urinate very badly? It's hard, isn't it? If you have to use the bathroom and find yourself getting drowsy, don't stop at the nearest restroom. Keep driving until you can't hold it anymore."
• "Pouring water in my shoes helps me stay awake, although it eventually causes blisters."
• "Stop at the store and buy the $1.99 HOT beef jerky; make sure it is hot and not mild. If you're immune to hot stuff, then buy ultra hot."
• "Take a bag of baby carrots on a long trip, you can't fall asleep while you're chewing!"
• "Make your face wet with water and have a sour gum, which makes you alert and increases your circulation."
• "Truck driver's trick - If you are feeling sleepy and need to get to the next rest stop for a nap or coffee, hold a $100 bill out the driver's window. There will be no accidental nodding with that sort of incentive."
• "Crush an ammonia capsule and place it under your nose intermittently. Do this cautiously at first so you are not startled."
• "When driving long distances, take a lemon along. Poke a small hole in the lemon and suck from it when you feel drowsy. It's a very fast wake-up."
• "Don't trim your nose hair! Save them for when you are really sleepy. Yank one out and you will be wide awake for 10 minutes. Do expect a few tears to help wash away the drowsiness."