If you want to take a break from a long drive tour but feel hotel is too expensive, or if you're a poor person who just wants to save money on a room, then you must have experienced a night of "using sky as a shelter and a car" like beds." Whether you're on road for fun or on road of life with no place to sleep, a good night's sleep in your car is a must-have survival skill. Once you've carved out perfect spot in your car with a little creativity, you'll be able to sleep soundly until dawn.
1. Get ready for evening
1. If weather is colder, don't forget to buy a sleeping bag (or two). What you need to bring to get a good night's sleep in your car depends on your location and weather conditions. If temperature is below freezing, you will most likely need two sleeping bags (one inside other) in addition to a blanket and a hat to keep your head warm.
A three hundred or four hundred yuan sleeping bag can keep you warm when it's around minus 30°C outside. A sleeping bag with a temperature of 30℃ is enough in car to survive a long night. If you feel a bit cold, just put on an extra layer of clothing.
Place a pin to keep sleeping bag from closing. If you roll over in middle of your sleep, chances are you will open your sleeping bag, and after heat has gone you can only wake up shivering in cold air.
2. If weather is hot, find a way to circulate air without letting insects take advantage of it. If temperature is very high, you need to take a thin piece of clothing and hang it by window so that mosquitoes do not enter and air circulates. In this case, weather is at top of your list. Hot weather is actually worse than cold weather because you wake up feeling clammy and nauseous from mosquito bites. You can try opening window to a gap of about 2-3 cm, looking for an intermediate point where air can circulate but mosquitoes cannot enter.
If mosquitoes are a problem for you or you really need ventilation to keep you cool, you can also buy a mosquito net or sun shade to hang on your windows.
3. You must prepare anything that can make you sleep peacefully. Snack bags, a bottle of water, a flashlight to find toilet, a pillow, or something else that needs to be thought out in advance, especially if you plan to spend several nights in car.
If you have other passengers or cargo in car, you will probably have to sit and sleep. Sleeping in a seat is definitely not best way to sleep in a car, but if you don't have a choice, remember to use a travel pillow to support your head and neck and you'll wake up in morning feeling much better.
4. Keep your car clean. The things you need to put in car are essentials like a flashlight, water, a set of clothes (if you're not traveling), towels, etc. Anything other than that will make you feel uncomfortable. A clean and tidy car environment can make you sleep soundly, and enough sleeping space can make people feel unexpectedly comfortable, but if the car is dirty and full of odors, it will be much more difficult to fall asleep.
A clean car is less likely to attract attention, especially if it has a neat appearance. If your car looks decent, people passing by won't ask questions or disturb your sleep.
5. You could also prepare a piece of canvas. Canvas is inexpensive and can effectively prevent people from peeking. Usually people don't realize that someone is sleeping in car when they see canvas, unless your windows are covered with fog. And canvas is strong enough to help efficient airflow.
If you're in a residential area, it's best to use it for one night only. If an unfamiliar cloth-topped car sits for days, residents may think it's junk and call police to have it towed. So if you're going to use canvas, remember to change your sleeping spots often. 2. Choose perfect location
1. Find a place where you won't get a ticket from police. Unfortunately, sleeping in a car at night is illegal in many countries. Here are a few places that can keep you from being "charged" by police:
A large supermarket like Walmart or a 24-hour gym. It is difficult for people to distinguish whether owner of car is sleeping in car or parked here to go to supermarket or to gym. But downside is that there will be a lot of passers-by, although this is a good choice in terms of personal safety.
Cathedrals or other shelters. If you get caught, you can also pray that they will be kind enough to keep going in direction of Lord, rather than stop to make things difficult for you.
On a country road or under a flyover. These places are sparsely populated and guarantee that you will not be seen, but you should double check that this place is really as deserted as you think.
Residential areas where street parking is allowed. In this case, your car will blend in with any other car parked on side of road unless you park it for too long or it will look suspicious.
2. The daytime situation at stopping point must also be fully taken into account. Supposing you find an empty parking lot next to a soccer field and it's empty at midnight, of course, that's a good choice. I don't want to wake up in morning and be confronted with screams of children on field, and from time to time with squint and suspicion of their mothers in car.
You must take this into account for back roads or all locations. Even a place that looks perfect at night is something that should not be taken lightly. Could this quiet country road become a daily routine for farmers? Will church car park open early? These are all questions for you to think about.
3. Turn front of car in right direction. Consider following two aspects:
Turn front of car in most hidden direction so that people don't have an angle to look inside and they can't see you through glass. Angle would be a good choice.
Point your car in right direction when you wake up in morning. If you want to wake up facing sun, turn your face to east; if you want to sleep late, turn your face to west.
4. Choose a place with a toilet. People have three urgent things to do. If you want to go to bathroom halfway to sleep, place where you can solve problem in two steps is royal way. If it's summer, public beach also allows for a comfortable bath.
If you need to, you can pee outside, but make sure no one is watching as you will probably have to pay a fine for doing so.
5. Try disguising yourself. If you're worried about being discovered, it's a good idea to disguise yourself a bit to be less noticeable. You can put a tarp on roof, or put a bunch of stuff in your car to hide in, or cover your body with a bunch of laundry.
3. Adjust to most comfortable state
1. Go to bathroom before bed. You will never sleep well holding your pee, especially if you are still sleeping in car. If you park your car at night, be sure to go to bathroom before bed. You will be glad you made this wise decision.
Also go to restroom before you hit road again. As long as you keep moving, you won't attract attention.
2. Consider opening a small window. In same way, how much to open door also depends on your temperature and climate at that time. In fact, inside of a car can get stuffy and stuffy regardless of temperature (because you're sleeping in it), so it's a good idea to open windows a little. If you're under covers when it's cold, opening windows will make you feel better.
But don't drive too much, it might not be safe. If there are a lot of mosquitoes, open smaller, usually about 1.25 cm is enough.
3. Take an aspirin. If you find it difficult to fall asleep in uncomfortable conditions or wake up easily with pain, it is recommended to take an aspirin before bed to help you fall asleep faster and sleep better when you wake up. with a healthy body Don't hurt so much.
Depends on your living conditions. If you can open back seat and stretch out happily, then you don't really have this problem. But if you only have room to curl up like a baby, aspirin can be a good sleep aid.
4. Adjust seat. Adjust seat to most comfortable position. If you sleep in back seat, slide front seat forward to create more space. Tuck in seat belt slot so it doesn't get stuck on your back in middle of night.
If you can, lower back seat. You can also open seat back to extend your legs (or head) into trunk.
5. Do not wear too much or too little, clothing should be comfortable and decent. In case someone knocks on door, you must be well dressed and well visible. So dress comfortably but stylishly. Athletic workout clothes are most suitable because you can quickly get up and push your "bed" away to escape in seconds if you need to.
Also consider weather. If it's cold, make sure your head is also protected from cold. Put on additional layers if necessary. If weather is hot, a T-shirt and shorts will suffice. You can also moisturize them ahead of time to keep them cool.
6. Hypnotize yourself by telling yourself how sweet, happy and unrestrained life is. Oh, what a blessing not to have to pay for this unreal hotel room! And it doesn't take your body a few nights to get used to it, and after all, sleeping in a car is no different than sleeping in a bed. Some people sleep in their cars for years without incident, and you'll soon find out why!
I don't know why, but I just can't sleep? A pair of noise canceling earplugs can be so effective that you can fall asleep just about anywhere, even at airports or train stations. If it is effective in such a noisy place, then it is not a problem to use it in car.
Tips
Don't forget to lock your car doors!
Do not leave valuables in a visible place in car, they may attract attention of criminals. It's a good idea to hide valuables out of sight.
If you're in a place where it's inconvenient to shower, using tissues can also help you feel clean and fresh. Check out travel section of your favorite retailer and you'll find envelope-sized reusable tissue packs for just a few dollars.
Take a map with you wherever you are, you can find a place to rest in time. Also remember to plan ahead to save fuel and time.
In summer, bring a black towel and spray bottle with you. After waking up, dampen a towel with a spray bottle and spread it on dashboard. After almost an hour of driving, towels get warm. The same goes for winter, just place a towel over cooling system and it will heat up in no time.
Some alternative sleeping places:
Walmart parking lot. Even at night, Walmart still has a lot of things coming and going, it's open 24 hours, so parking lot is never empty and it's relatively safe. Park in back, but not in middle of nowhere, and don't forget to merge with employees' cars. The covering sheet must be large enough to completely cover windows.
At any 24-hour mall. If inventory and liquidation are done at night, then that's fine. Generally speaking, people who work night shift are very reasonable and they won't embarrass you even if they find out.
Stay away from hotels. In general, police will patrol hotel 1-2 times a night, and if they detect fogging on your car windows, they may come to you with an interrogation. Also, sometimes hotels copy car license plates to check their customer lists, so you might get caught.
Libraries are also a good option. Imagine that you are just tired of reading and napping in car, and reading in library during day is a great way to pass time. The point is to create a few situations and pretend you're not some bum who doesn't care.do it.
The truck stop is also usually a safe place to sleep. Well lit, open all night, with restrooms, all you have to do is park in driveway and away from big towing equipment. You will find people living in RVs in much same way.
Do not lean your neck against seat belt, as this can cause inflammation and leave red strangulation marks.
Warning
Safety must come first, and most important safety rule to remember is to make sure all doors are locked.
A car cover can effectively keep out cold and protect privacy, but if it's hot outside, be sure to use a well-ventilated car cover. Also, never start your car while it's under the hood because you can get carbon monoxide poisoning.
Don't buy a cold respirator. It's hard to sleep with this thing and it's a waste of money. Falling asleep in sub-zero temperatures can be difficult, but waking up with a sore throat from constantly sucking on a heater. It is best to find a middle ground where you can breathe fresh air and not freeze. You can fold a blanket over your face to create a small tent that will allow air to circulate and keep you warm. If your hat is long enough, it can be worn directly over your face.