Sleeping in an airport; something we all want to avoid, but a common thing for many travelers. (Especially those that travel on a budget!) We’ve been stranded on standby at JFK airport for hours, slept on LAX floors during a long layover…Jarden even once spent 24 hours in Fiumicino airport in Rome due to an itinerary error on my part; yikes! Although not an idea situation, there are ways to make the best of your experience. Here are some tips to sleeping in an airport.

1. Find a Lounge/Sleep Pod

   Some airports, (like the one below at Munich Airport!), has little sleep pods that you’re able to rent out by the hour. If you don’t mind paying and want some privacy, these are your best best for a few hours of comfortable rest. We haven’t had the luxury of sleeping in one of these yet, but it’s on our list.

   (source)

2. Claim Your Spot

   If the airport you’re at doesn’t have sleeping pods, it’s best to find a safe and secure spot that you don’t mind sleeping in. While at LAX on an overnight layover, we slept in our terminal with a bunch of other ‘stranded’ travelers. Each of us found an area on the ground (next to outlets of course!) where we could all lay out and get some shut eye.

   

3. Rest in a Safe Area

   While you want to sleep in an area that’s isolated, you also want to make sure you’re in an area that makes you feel safe. Try to stay in a safe area with employee traffic, and/or in areas with other travelers. While we had a reasonable distance from other travelers during our layover, we also felt safer being next to other people. Our terminal was pretty deserted at those overnight hours, but there were still employees cleaning that made the area more secure in our eyes.

4. Be Aware of Your Surroundings

   Always keep your wits about you, especially if you are traveling with valuables like most people are. Sleep with your items close by, or even sleep holding your bag/luggage. If you’re traveling with another person, you could even sleep in shifts to be extra cautious. (Yeah, I’m paranoid like that!)

5. Be Prepared

   If you know you’re going to have a long layover, make sure you come prepared with items to pass the time and make your experience comfortable. We brought little neck pillows that made sleeping on the floor a little more bearable. (Use your bag if you don’t have a pillow!) We slept next to outlets so we could watch movies on our laptop, and I even had some reading material to pass the time. If the shops in the airport are going to be closed during your layover, make sure to have some snacks in case you get hungry.