Overnight Bus and Train Sleep Tips: Seats, Packing and Your Stop

Overnight bus and train trips save a night of accommodation and get you there by morning, but only if you actually sleep. Upright seats, stops through the night, cabin lights and the worry of missing your stop can turn it into a long, wakeful ride. This guide covers how to choose a seat or berth, what to pack, how to settle down, how to avoid motion sickness, how to keep your things safe and how to wake up in time for your stop.

The short answer: book the most horizontal option you can, such as a sleeper berth or a reclining window seat away from the doors and toilets. Pack an eye mask, earplugs, a neck pillow and a warm layer, and go easy on caffeine and alcohol. Sit facing forward near the front if you get motion sick. Keep valuables on your body, and set an alarm for well before your arrival time, since services can run early or late and stops may not be announced loudly.

Bus or train: what to expect

	Overnight coach	Seated train	Sleeper train
Sleep position	Upright or partly reclined	Upright or partly reclined	Lying flat
Stops during the night	Often frequent, with lights on	Some, usually quieter	Some, usually quieter
Movement	Turns, braking, road noise	Smoother, rhythmic	Smoother, rhythmic
Space to move	Limited; rest stops	Can walk the carriage	Can walk the carriage
Best tool	Neck pillow, mask, earplugs	Neck pillow, mask, earplugs	Mask, earplugs, warm layer

Where offered, a sleeper berth is the biggest upgrade for sleep, because you can lie flat.

Choosing your seat

• Window seat. You get a wall to lean on and nobody climbing over you at stops.
• Away from doors, toilets and the driver's area. Less foot traffic, fewer smells and less light.
• Towards the front if you get motion sick. Healthdirect advises sitting close to the front of a car, bus or train (source).
• Facing forward on trains. Many people find this easier on the stomach.
• Check the recline. Seats in front of an exit row or against a wall may not recline.

What to pack in your day bag

Keep a small bag at your feet or on your lap with everything you need overnight, rather than in the luggage hold.

• Eye mask. Interior lights often come on at stops. See do sleep masks work.
• Earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones for engine noise, announcements and other passengers.
• A neck pillow to stop your head dropping forward, which is what usually wakes you up.
• A warm layer and socks. Cabins can get cold overnight, and you usually can't adjust the temperature.
• Water and a light snack. You may not get a food stop when you want one.
• Charger or power bank, and any regular medicines.
• An alarm you'll notice with earplugs in. See how to wake up with earplugs in.

Settling down to sleep

1. Shift towards your usual bedtime. Try to sleep at roughly the time you normally would. If you're changing time zones, aim for night-time at your destination.
2. Eat lightly before you board. A heavy meal and a winding road are a poor mix.
3. Go easy on caffeine and alcohol. The Sleep Health Foundation notes that alcohol may help you get off to sleep, but you won't sleep as well during the night (source).
4. Support your body. Recline as far as is allowed, put a rolled jumper behind your lower back and keep your feet supported on your bag.
5. Use the same wind-down cues. Brush your teeth at the last rest stop, put the mask on and stop scrolling.
6. Don't fight broken sleep. On a coach with stops, you'll probably sleep in blocks. Close your eyes again after each stop rather than checking your phone.

For more on sleeping upright, many of the same tricks apply as on a plane. See how to sleep on a plane.

Motion sickness and long hours sitting

Motion sickness. Healthdirect suggests looking out the window at the horizon rather than reading or looking at a screen, keeping still with your eyes closed, getting fresh air and eating lightly. Travel sickness medicines may cause drowsiness, so ask your pharmacist or doctor what suits you (source). If a medicine makes you drowsy, set your alarm with extra margin.

Sitting still for hours. Healthdirect advises people travelling for hours to get up and walk around every 1 or 2 hours, do calf stretches or heel lifts, drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol or caffeine, which add to dehydration. Compression stockings may be suggested if you have other risk factors for deep vein thrombosis (source). On a coach, use rest stops to stretch your legs. On a train, walk the carriage when you wake.

Safety and your belongings

• Keep your phone, wallet and ID on your body, in a zipped pocket, not in a seat pocket.
• Loop your bag strap around your leg or keep it on your lap.
• Know where your checked luggage is and keep the tag receipt handy.
• If something feels wrong, tell the driver or train staff.

Don't miss your stop

The fear of sleeping through your stop keeps many people awake, especially if your stop isn't the final one.

• Check the scheduled arrival time for your stop, not just the final destination.
• Set an alarm 20 to 30 minutes before arrival, to give you time to wake properly and gather your things. Services can run early or late, so check progress when you wake.
• Tell the driver or conductor where you're getting off, if that's possible on your service.
• Set a backup alarm, or a location-based reminder on your phone if you use one.

See napping on the train without missing your stop for more.

Where the Sovune Nudge fits

We make the Sovune Nudge, a vibrating alarm wristband, so we're not neutral. On a bus or train full of sleeping strangers, a wrist alarm wakes you without waking the carriage.

• Silent. No speaker and no sound, just vibration on your wrist.
• Works with earplugs in, because it wakes you by feel, starting as a gentle tap and building through three intensity levels.
• Vibrates for a full minute, and you can switch it off as soon as you're awake.
• Three separate alarms, so you can set one before your stop and a backup.
• Set on the band itself, with no app or phone, so it still works when your phone is flat.

It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Quick answers

Is it better to sleep on an overnight bus or a train? A sleeper berth on a train is usually best because you can lie flat. A train seat is often smoother than a coach seat.

Where's the best seat for sleeping on an overnight bus? A window seat away from the doors and toilet, towards the front if you get motion sick.

How do I avoid missing my stop? Set an alarm 20 to 30 minutes before your scheduled arrival, add a backup, and tell staff where you're getting off if you can.

Should I take a sleeping tablet on an overnight trip? Talk to your GP or pharmacist first. Being heavily sedated makes it harder to wake on time and keep track of your belongings.

For every type of silent alarm compared, see our complete guide to vibrating alarms in Australia.

See the Sovune Nudge →