Cat Naps in Your Car

[RoadTripper601]

Hello, all.

On longer trips, I typically like to drive during the night. Even when well rested, I'll typically get drowsy in the middle of the night and like to stop for quick cat naps in the car.

My question to everyone is, do you leave your vehicles running while you nap? Crack the windows? Put up privacy shades? Sleep with one eye open?

Look forwad to the responses!

[PNW Judy]

Leaving your car running seems pretty dangerous to me. No way.

I have never napped at night like that but I have done it during the day. I simply find a quiet place to park, lean the seat back, and go to sleep. If the sun is intense, I might put the sunshades up on the front window and put a towel or something in the window to block the sun. If it's hot, I'll leave the windows slightly cracked. If not, I won't.

If I was to do it at night, I'd probably do about the same thing.

If you pick a safe place to park, sleeping with one eye open shouldn't be an issue.

You might enjoy reading The ARt of the Cheap Roadtrip. Look for the Gen's comments on lodging. She has done this a lot and has good advice there.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Bob "Drive Safe with Uncle Bob" Schaller often gets drowsy during the day as he writes in Defensive Driving Rule #45 ...I am prone to drowsiness, especially in the warm morning sun after breakfast. When this happens, I find a shady spot and take a brief nap. Sometimes, even just ten minutes is enough and I am alert again, but more often, it takes twenty to thirty minutes.... (Read More Here)

My question to everyone is, do you leave your vehicles running while you nap? Crack the windows? Put up privacy shades? Sleep with one eye open?

I am a day-napper too -- it has been many years since I napped in the car at night. I am much more likely to get a motel or camp. But if I were to do it, I would pull way off the road, shut-off the engine, extingush all lights, crack two windows and go deeply to sleep. When I was a IR firefighter (Federal wildland fire-fighter) I mastered the technique of falling fast asleep -- standing-up and leaning against the walls of the dispatch hangar. I rarely slipped down and could come to full awake and alert in just a few seconds, a helpful skill when a fire klangon would start going off periodically. These days, I prefer to be lying down, but I can still go to sleep "on-demand" within about 10 seconds of trying to.

Mark