You do have to be careful too.
I had one BBG1500 where about 1200 miles in to the ride I went on autopilot and made about 150 miles in a daydream state and snapped back to alertness with no recollection of the past couple of hours whatsoever. This was a very disturbing feeling.
If you feel yourself drifting off a quick roadside stop for some calisthenics can be a very good idea. Trying to push through drowsiness almost never has a good outcome.
I will also say that caffeine is rarely a good idea, at least not until the final hour of the ride. The loss of alertness when caffeine wears off is worse than no caffeine at all and can catch you completely by surprise.
I like to keep some strong candies (like altoids or horehound or cinnamon) in a handy pocket. Shocking your mouth with a flood of sensation can work wonders to restore alertness.
Likewise little changes to your environment like lifting your visor a titch or unzipping your sleeves just to alter the way the world feels can bring you back to the world.
The big thing to remember is when you reach a point where you need a break take a break.
If it just works out that continuing the ride would be dangerous (as opposed to arduous) then it may be better to abandon the ride and try again another day. There is no shame in staying alive.
