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I am an Uber driver and I have this necessity after working late weekend nights and I am too tired to drive home safely.

Firstly, I have several vehicles but none of them have seats that recline to a bed-like sleeping position. I would like to know which car is most accommodating in this regard.

The head rest for the seat is meant for driving, not pillow. I have tried various compact head rests with limited success.

I am a bit over 6ft tall. Which SUV and/or minivans have the most flat space when all the seats are put down for cargo position?

I have to cover the windows with various cardboard or sun shades to keep the morning light out and for privacy. I would like to know a hack to both keep out the light and also provide good R factor for heat insulation.

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    You could always call an Uber to drive you home so you can sleep there. (Sounds funny, but it's a legitimate solution!)
    – BrettFromLA
    Oct 13, 2017 at 16:34
  • @BrettFromLA Sure, at first It sounds counter-intuitive; but, it is neither funny ha-ha or funny odd. It's a great solution. That should be the first safe and sane choice.
    – Stan
    Oct 16, 2017 at 2:27

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What you do to earn your living really has no relevance to being too tired to drive yourself home. Anyone who is not rested well-enough to operate a vehicle should not operate a vehicle.

I can't tell you which vehicle you should use, buy, or try for sleeping comfort. It's your opinion and it's off topic here. Likewise, we are not a product testing lab to tell you which product will suit you. It's your opinion and it's off topic here.

Whatever sleeping position you choose, do the best you can under the circumstances. Be content that you chose a vehicle primarily for safe and efficient transportation not for sleeping comfort.

A good material to use to block out light and provide good insulation is foil-backed foam insulation. It comes in various thicknesses and can be cut to shape with a box-cutter easily. Use light cardboard or heavy paper to make templates of each of your windows. Use two pieces for the windshield - left and right. Trace the paper templates on the insulation. Press the shades into the window frame when you want the privacy. Follow instructions as to whether the foil should face in or out depending on your season and climate. The pieces should be symmetrical.

When you are not using the shades, store them flat in the car storage.

According to many Web sources, it is better to nap for a short time to refresh yourself than to push onward incapacitated by sleep deprivation which many agree is equivalent to drug or alcohol intoxication.

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(Disclaimer: I'm not medically trained and this isn't medical advice; and I know from experience that sleeping in a car isn't ideal.)

If you need to sleep in your vehicle, a sleeping bag provides warmth and a degree of comfort and privacy. This would also allow you to wind down your windows a tiny bit for ventilation while still wanting to keep warm. You can get use a compression bag to squash the sleeping bag into a small bundle for storage to maximise luggage space for your customers.

Instead of blocking your windows to stop light getting in, you can use a sleeping mask (essentially, a blindfold). At a pinch, a handkerchief between your eyes and your sunglasses can be quite effective. Make sure your nose has sufficient clearance and you're not putting harmful pressure on your eyes.

The remaining problem you mentioned was seating comfort. After cocooning yourself in the sleeping bag and mask, recline your seat slightly and pretend you're on an aeroplane :) . Air the vehicle when you wake up, for the comfort of your next passenger.

Needless to say, make sure you're in a safe neighbourhood. If the location is suitable, you might be better off pitching a small pop-up tent near your vehicle and sleeping there instead.

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  • It's not just blocking out light, but rather a matter of privacy. I have had people knock on the window to ask me to leave, see if I was alive, etc.
    – 0tyranny0poverty
    Oct 18, 2017 at 21:19
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    @0tyranny0poverty then you're sleeping in the wrong places. Or put signs on your window saying Drowsy Driving Kills, please do not wake driver.
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Nov 10, 2017 at 8:15
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Go for cars whose front seats tip far back. Headrests are not perfect pillows, get a real pillow.

For blocking light, i just throw a spare T-shirt over my eyes and done.

Coverings vary depending on temperature, have blankets, sleeping bags and also Capilene fiber long johns, which won't overheat you. Wool socks help too.

It takes a little getting used to. But if you're too tired to drive, you will fall asleep. Don't expect sleep to come in the usual 8-hour format.

Sleep when it's dark, especially in the summer when days are short, don't just push yourself to midnight because that's what you do at home.

Learn where to park, the experts on this are the #VanLife people. It's pretty dumb to get the rap on the window when a suitable Walmart is a mile away.

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