The Science on Why It’s Easier to Sleep in the MRT / Bus Than on a Bed

Last Updated on 2023-03-30 , 9:15 am

I don’t know about you but I am jealous of people who can fall asleep instantaneously when they hit their bed. For me, it takes 5 hours, 234 position changes and a sacrifice to the gods before the Sandman visits me.

Don’t get me wrong, I love to sleep (it is like a temporary death without the commitment) but it always seems to elude me when I am in my bed.

I honestly believe that the Sandman is always late to visit me coz sleep always hit me when I take the bus or train in the morning.

I am sure I am not alone on this.

Why tho!

After diving into the deep dark web, I found a few reasons as to why we tend to fall asleep on buses easily

White noise

According to Colin Lecher of Popular Science, “white noise is a consistent noise that comes out evenly across all hearable frequencies”.

In simpler terms, white noise is better noise.

Let me break it down in simpler terms.

The alarm clock that wakes you up, well the sound of the alarm isn’t the only reason why you are waking up.

It is the sudden noise—that inconsistency is the culprit.

Notice, how, sometimes, the sound of the fan lulls you to sleep?

I guess we can assume that the consistent sounds heard in bus rides—such as the rumbling sounds from the engine and the tapping sound when you scan your EZ-Link card—act as white noise.

Same goes to train rides such as the sound of the closing doors, the (slightly annoying) train announcements and the impending train breakdowns.

The movement of a moving vehicle

Have you ever noticed how sometimes you rock back and forth in buses or side to side in trains—could that have anything to do with the topic in question?

Clinical psychologist, diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine and a fellow of The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Dr Michael Breus said in an interview: “There’s actually some data to suggest that, in fact, there is something to that rocking motion. They’re making cribs that have these automatic rockers and things like that, so there is some data that suggests that that could be true.”

According to a study published in the journal Current Biology, there is a “dramatic boosting” of certain types of sleep-related brainwaves associated with rocking.

There is even a Reddit thread dedicated to this topic and there are some interesting theories though not validated.

Theory 1

I imagine that it has something to do with the development of an unborn child in the mother’s womb. In what way is it comfortable to sleep? – in darkness, in warmth and with rocking motions, three attributes of the inside of the uterus.

You spent the first nine months of your life sleeping inside of there. It’s only logical that your subconscious pines for its relative safety and comfort.

This seems a little far-fetched though…

Here is one that seems legit.

Theory 2

I like this answer. A lot of people point to an idea of “this is what it was like in the womb” or some other evolutionary biology “answer”.

Something like rocking acts kind of like a distraction. The acceleration is something you feel in your whole body. When the rocking is consistent, you expect to stop, reverse, stop reverse, and you predict it. Having your predictions validated is a very comforting thing, it’s like why we like music we recognize. It’s a big enough thing, and a smooth enough transition between stages that it’s relaxing.

The sound of waves on the beach, is a periodic round sound. The feeling of rocking is a periodic soft feeling. The sound of a clock ticking on the other hand can be distracting, because while it’s periodic, it’s harsh. Similarly, rocking might help you sleep, but someone jumping on the bed wouldn’t. Harsh sounds are liable to prompt a stress response instead. A lullaby is soft and short, repetitive, mild. You expect that the next verse is the same as the last, you expect the next verse is the same as the last, you expect the next verse is the same as the last.

Your mind is occupied a bit by the song. You remember it. It’s as you remember. You remember it. It’s as you remember. You never have to wonder why it’s different. You never have to wonder what different to expect. But you still get to think about it, which is a very limited thing, and keeps you from thinking about anything else.

It’s like counting. Or whatever other tricks we have. But rocking is something that a parent can do to a child. The parent can’t convince a baby to count. But they can give them that same rhythm by rocking.

This goes back to my first point (white noise), once there is consistency, your brain sort of enters relaxation mode until you experience something jarring.

So, there you have it, a mixture of facts and theories and now I am feeling sleepy from the rocking of my chair…

Featured Image: elwynn / Shutterstock.com