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How to get a good night's sleep on a train

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    After a week of traveling on various overnight sleepers, often in first class, I wanted to share a few tricks I've learned on how to get a good night sleep.

    My number one tip is to try to get a bed that runs parallel to the tracks. Any time you have a bed that runs perpendicular to the tracks you will likely not have a good night sleep. The reason for this isn't always apparent, but once you've experienced it, you can see why. When a bed is perpendicular to the tracks, you end up rolling backwards and forwards -- left or right -- as the train speeds up or slows down. And on sharp turns, the blood may rush to your head or your feet as the pitch of the train changes.

    With a bed that runs parallel to the tracks, many of those issues are reduced. You'll notice that it's very easy to fall asleep even in a sitting position, as long as you are parallel to the tracks. Any turns or swaying of the train feel more like a rocking motion, and changes in the speed of the train are not as noticeable as you will not roll out of your bed because of them.

    Finally, it helps to minimize the noise in the cabin. If you can, ask for extra towels and then look for places where noise originates and plug up the holes with those extra towels. On my last overnight train trip, I found that sound was coming in from the sink, which looked directly down into the tracks. There was a small cover over the sink, but the noise wasn't completely eliminated until I stuck a towel into the sink.

    Last but not least, I recommend bringing a blindfold and earplugs to reduce light and extra noise that you cannot eliminate. I found those tips worked well for me, but I'd like to hear if anyone else has additional tips!

    Thanks from: The Rover
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    Jtilly - thanks for the tips. I agree with you that the best recipe for a good night's sleep is to have a berth that is positioned parallel to the tracks, rather than perpendicular. You indicated that "on sharp turns, the blood may rush to your head or your feet as the pitch of the train changes." I would say that even more annoying, if your bed is situated perpendicular to the tracks, is having the top of your head slammed into the bulkhead when the train makes a sharp turn, particularly if it's traveling at relatively high speed.

    Another tip that I would pass on would be, if possible, to get a sleeper room that is located in the middle of the passenger car, as opposed to being at the end of the car. If you're at the end of the car, you'll be located directly over the car's "trucks," where the wheels and the brakes are located. Being in the middle of the car puts you further away from the noise of the brake shoes, when they are engaged, and from the "clickety clack" of the wheels going over the rails and switches. (Nevertheless, it should be pointed out that some people find the "clickety clack" noise to be quite soothing and say that it actually helps them to sleep. As they say, "it takes all kinds.") Finally, I should also note that, when traveling on trains such as the TGV in France and the Shinkansen (bullet train) in Japan, the tracks frequently employ welded rail, rather than individual sections that are bolted together, and the "clickety clack" sounds are virtually eliminated.

    To summarize, I would recommend trying to get a compartment in the middle of the sleeping car that has a bed positioned parallel to the tracks!

    Thanks from: Jtilly
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    Thanks for the tip. I never considered the position of room to the wheels. But now that you mention it, I would also point out that the middle of the cars don't swing out as widely on turns as the ends of the cars do. In other words, the middle of the car takes a much straighter path on curves than the ends of the cars do, so I'm sure that would help in terms of sleeping.

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    Great advice, succinctly put. I give it a ZZZZ rating.....

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    My Uncle travels by train from California to New Mexico fairly frequently. He says to get a bed on the train, it's $700 while a regular seat is $100 (round trip). So, he goes to the dining cart and has some nice wine, then goes to a regular seat and he sleeps splendidly!

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    I love it. I'm sure that would do the trick. Although I think I might bring my own wine in that case!

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    Okay, so how do I know in advance which direction the bed is facing? Thanks

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    If you're traveling in the USA on Amtrak, it's pretty easy to find out which way your bed will be facing if you make your reservations online. All you have to do is to go to Amtrak.com and simply click on "Sleeping Choices" and look at the various accommodations you are considering. Then, as you click on each one, you'll see a layout of the room on the train, which also shows which way the bed or beds are facing. For example:

    http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=AM_Accommodation_C&pagename=am%2FLayout&cid=1241210576303

    I would expect that you would find similar information on the web with respect to trips in Europe and Asia.

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