sleeping positions

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guest planning a trip

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We're planning a trip from Chicago to the West Coast and back in the next two months. Our question, after looking at sleeper layouts in the Amtrak brochures:

Is it easier to sleep parallel to the direction of the train e.g. roomette or is it better to sleep perpendicular (i.e. 90 degrees) to the direction e.g. bedroom? Cost is not an issue. I have heard from friends who have ridden European trains that they have gotten motion sickness when sleeping perpendicular to the train's movement?

What's the view of all of you on this great forum who have ridden these trains?

Thank you for any and all advice.
 
So far all the rooms that I have slept in have been bedrooms - perpendicular beds. Wifey and I slept like babies.

In a few days I am going on my first roomette trip - time to try something new :)
 
Aloha

Well I would not call it an issue but I prefer parallel to the window as I can look out as I drift off. What rock ther is is more like a cradle. And the one time I was perpendicular I could not see out in the sleeping possition, nor was the head to toe rock as pleasant.
 
If cost is not an issue, I would suggest book outbound in a roomette and homebound in a bedroom. My preference is to bedrooms, but not for the motion or position of the bed. I like to sleep with a curtian open. In roomettes, station lights tend to wake me at night, I don't seem to have that problem in a bedroom. Also the lower bed is bigger in the bedroom.

Have a great adventure
 
I've found it more a question of the roadbed than the position of the bed. I've generally slept well in fore-and-aft oriented roomettes, but didn't on the exceptionally bouncy Silver Meteor (maybe there is something to being the last car). Again in athwartship oriented bedrooms I've had no problems, except for the switching of the Empire Builder in Spokane. (Hmm, last car again...)
 
I have slept in both... I kind of like the ride in the Roomette, parallel to the rails, slightly better. However if money is not an issue I would always go for the bedroom... the extra space makes such a huge difference. The room itself is bigger, but the beds are also much much bigger, plus you get a private enclosed restroom/shower inside your room.
 
We have found no noticeable difference between the two.

We both get seasick, but have not have any issues taking the train.

The differences would be the train bed & the location of the roomette/bedroom.

If the roomette/bedroom is towards the end of the car, some say the ride is rougher.

We have always been in the middle of the car, upstairs-a smooth ride.

We much prefer bedrooms over roomettes-the overall space & complete bathroom, plus the bottom bed is larger.

Some say large enough for two.

I also like being able to look out the window at night, so if the bed isn't set up feet towards the window, I switch it.

Our favorite bedroom is "E", followed by "D".

Have a great trip, and welcome to the board!
 
sunchaser said:
We much prefer bedrooms over roomettes-the overall space & complete bathroom, plus the bottom bed is larger.Some say large enough for two.

I also like being able to look out the window at night, so if the bed isn't set up feet towards the window, I switch it.
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Couple of things - bottom bed in a bedroom IS big enough for two petit folks - and wifey and I don't even weight 550 pounds together. But I am 6'3" which is longer than the bed so I want my head against the wall (window) and my feet hanging off the end so out heads have to be near the window. I like the idea of laying in bed and looking out the window but that won't happen - since I don't usually sleep with my glasses on I couldn't see anyway :lol:
 
sleeping positions, parallel or perpendicular?

Personally, I prefer vertical, but you know me. :)
 
I get a roomette when I travel alone and a bedroom when my wife is with me.

I don't find any difference in sleeping in either accommodation.
 
I liked being parallel. I found that I got motion sickness the first night on the train from the swaying back and forth. Rest of the nights were fine once I got used to the movement, though.

I do have to say that I thought the ride in the Silver Meteor was better than on the Superliners. Weird, lol.
 
DET63 said:
the_traveler said:
MrFSS said:
DET63 said:
sleeping positions, parallel or perpendicular?
Personally, I prefer vertical, but you know me. :)
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You sleep standing up? Do you mean horizontal?
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I prefer sleeping upside down! :lol:
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Yes. We're like bats! :D
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I thought the_traveler meant on his stomach. :huh:

I have to sleep on my side or stomach. Otherwise, I have a form of sleep apnea where if I sleep on my back (or sitting up in a chair), I stop breathing.
 
A slightly different thought. I always use roomettes so I'm always parallel. The question is head first or feet first. I prefer feet first as a sudden stop won't crunch my head. I can't remember if the attendants set you up this way. I always sit during the day facing forward.
 
kt1i said:
A slightly different thought. I always use roomettes so I'm always parallel. The question is head first or feet first. I prefer feet first as a sudden stop won't crunch my head. I can't remember if the attendants set you up this way. I always sit during the day facing forward.
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That idea is fine in a Superliner, but in a Viewliner with the commode - sink where it is, your head has to be at the other end and depending on the car's orientation in the consist you could be either way, head first or feet first. But I agree, I prefer feet first, too, if possible.
 
MrFSS said:
kt1i said:
A slightly different thought. I always use roomettes so I'm always parallel. The question is head first or feet first. I prefer feet first as a sudden stop won't crunch my head. I can't remember if the attendants set you up this way. I always sit during the day facing forward.
Click to expand...
That idea is fine in a Superliner, but in a Viewliner with the commode - sink where it is, your head has to be at the other end and depending on the car's orientation in the consist you could be either way, head first or feet first. But I agree, I prefer feet first, too, if possible.
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In a Superliner, I believe the beds are set opposite each other. On the TE, I believe the woman in the roomette across the hall had the bed set opposite mine.
 
I have always been told to sleep with feet in the direction of travel for safety but have had SCAs who have asked which end I want the pillows on when they make up the bed. Others have made them up the way they see fit and had me sleeping "backwards."
 
kt1i said:
A slightly different thought. I always use roomettes so I'm always parallel. The question is head first or feet first. I prefer feet first as a sudden stop won't crunch my head. I can't remember if the attendants set you up this way. I always sit during the day facing forward.
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While I agree with your assessment for sleeping, although as MrFSS pointed out that's not always possible to do, when it comes to sitting during the day you've got it backwards. If you're concerned about being safe in a sudden stop, then you want to sit facing backwards. That way in a sudden stop the chair cushions your body and keeps you from slamming forward. The chair will support your spine and neck, as well as your head.

If you're facing forward, you're going to fly across the compartment and into the other seat. Of if you have your legs out and brace yourself; there is at least a chance that you could end up with broken legs.

Granted all of that is very worst case scenario, as the train pretty much has to hit a brick wall to stop that abruptly.
 
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