Most forms of caffeine made to keep me awake have suffered from one or more of the following problems:

Eventual post-caffeination (and/or sugar) crash
Hyper-activity
Stomach irritation
Jitters
Ineffectiveness

Stay Alert has become my preferred form of caffeine quite simply because it suffers from none of these. It doesn't give me a buzz or make me feel wired. It simply keeps me alert. After taking it, I don't feel sleepy. Instead I feel perfectly awake and nothing more, which is precisely what I want. Also, it works for hours on end, is highly portable, and is cheaper than most other forms of caffeine. The only downsides are it's artificially sweetened and begins to taste bitter rather quickly. It's not meant to be chewing gum, though. It's meant to keep you awake, and it does just that. Further, considering caffeine is bitter by nature, the flavor's a small price I'm willing to pay. 5 stars

I wrote this review after my 2nd order of this stuff and I must say that I'm practically hooked on the gum now. At first I was fairly skeptical since I've tried Mad Croc gum with caffeine and has to endure a horrible flavor the entire time but this gum was different in a couple of ways. First of all the gum is efficient and effective. I felt a rush of caffeine pretty quickly somewhere between 5-10 minutes of chewing with a slight head change. The product claims at 15 minutes 99% of the caffeine is absorbed but it seems like it might actually be quicker than that. However, this gum is not perfect and some people might find a few issues mainly with the flavor. The cinnamon only lasts until the first 5 minutes which means for the final 5-10 minutes of absorbing caffeine the only flavor you experience is bitter caffeine. A few people I spoke to mentioned it made their throats tingle but I assured them it would pass quickly. Everyone who stayed with the gum past the 15 minutes continued to chew it as it retains a pleasant but mild vanilla flavor of sorts. After the first piece you will get used to the bitterness in between and use the slight numbing effect it has on your tongue to enjoy what initial users won't like. Try this gum, don't spit it out, chew only 1 piece at a time (this was the second problem I saw most people have) and you will undoubtedly love this gum. 5 stars

I really like the Stay Alert gum. I tried the Penguin Energy gum, but this is much better. The first time I used it, I had to get used to the somewhat different taste, but I love the warmth of the cinnamon in my mouth. I keep it in my car, at work, and around the house. It is a bit more pricey than some of the other gums, but worth the cost. I plan to keep this gum on hand. 5 stars

I use stay alert gum to stay sharp during classes on days when I am particularly tired. It works well, and does its job quickly(within 5 minutes). It does not ,however, make me jittery. It literally works like a charm. The instructions say you can chew up to 2 pieces every 3 hours. I have never needed more than 1 piece. I have only used it for short bursts of energy when I must be completely present mentally, and never to stay awake for long periods of time. Since I am not a coffee drinker, I find it to be an excellent source of much needed caffeine. 5 stars

I used this during a long highway trip. You know how it gets--you feel very drowsy and you start to nod out at the steering wheel without realizing it. That's when you are a dangerous driver, especially when there are no rest areas in sight and you're tempted to drive longer than you should. That happened to me on that trip, and I popped a single piece of gum in my mouth. After only a few chews, I was wide awake, as if I had pulled over and taken a nap. I could hardly believe it; it was miraculous. I no longer felt the least bit drowsy. That effect stayed with me for about two hours. By then, I had found a rest area and taken a nap.

This gum should not be used as a sleep substitute, IMHO, but it can serve very well in situations when you cannot take a nap and you must continue to function. Its cinnamon taste isn't the best, but it is tolerable and you can get used to it. It works well even for a major coffee drinker (who is used to caffeine) like myself. 5 stars