RVers are familiar with rest areas. We stop at them often—bathroom breaks, snack breaks, lunch breaks and, yes, even nap breaks. We bet you’ve been to quite a few rest areas in your RVing days.
Rest areas can be a welcome oasis during a long drive, offering a safe and convenient spot to rest and recharge. For some, they’re a place to stretch their legs or walk the dog, while others might appreciate the shaded picnic tables and vending machines.
But perhaps one of their most underrated benefits is the chance to grab a quick nap to combat driver fatigue. It’s no secret that staying alert on the road is critical, and a brief rest can make all the difference.
Interestingly, naps at rest areas happen in different ways. Some RVers plan their stops, setting a timer for a 20-minute power nap to boost energy levels. Others find that a full belly after lunch paired with the hum of a distant highway creates the perfect recipe for an unplanned doze. Whether it’s intentional or accidental, rest area naps can be a small but mighty tool for safer, more enjoyable travel days.
So tell us: How often do you nap at rest areas? After you vote, please feel free to leave a comment. Thanks!
I rarely nap at rest stops on travel days. For some strange reason, as I have gotten older I have less trouble with getting drowsy while driving. Go figure! I am very blessed to have a wife that has no problem driving our 1-ton truck pulling a 43 foot 5th wheel. For this reason, anytime I need a little rest on a travel day, we just switch seats and I can rest while she drives!
We use Rest Areas for lunch and potty breaks. Period.
Said ‘never’, but wouldn’t rule out the possibility. The issue is our pets (1 dog, 2 cats) and we use a TT. Nobody rides in a moving TT; but staying in a parked tow vehicle isn’t good either. And short moves into and out of the TT confuses them.
Impossible for me to nap when it is daylight, I just lay there tossing and turning. Learned this in the Navy when most of the crew would nap during lunch and the berthing compartment was set up with night lighting. Tried after I retired and still can’t nap during the day. So I never nap in rest areas and we don’t travel after dark.
Rest areas are sketchy anymore…use at your own risk.
Never. Just getting out and walking around or sitting for while is enough to relax me. Maybe eat a light meal.
On travel days we may use one for stretches or rest room use. Otherwise we usually only travel 5/6 hours. The pleasure of being retired.
Being female I would never sleep in a public area. Not even with my Glock in my lap.
A rest, maybe a short nap, and even overnight in some states. But always check to see if it’s safe.
I’ve read too much Stephen King to think that is appropriate!,,,,
I voted never, unless an 8 hour sleep from 10pm to 6am is considered a nap. In that case I would have voted “sometimes”. We have no issues sleeping in a rest area with other rvers and truckers.
If we are sleepy, we will occasionally stop for a short nap in a truck stop (one of us usually is awake, though). We would be very reluctant to sleep overnight in one, unless it was attended.
Before I retired and still had little ones, we’d often leave the house around midnight and drive for 5-6 hrs right after I got home from working afternoon shift. We’d pull into a rest area and I would take an hour or so nap while the wife attended the kids. Then we’d proceed to our destination. It was a different era then and a lot safer. We’re retired now so we’re never in a hurry.
I said rarely but since we started RVing full time never. If I had to take a solo trip for one of our kids (helping move or just a visit) I would take quick nap due to the long distance. I haven’t needed to in three years, thankfully. It is not my idea of a restful place to sleep.
I have no issue with stopping at rest areas when I need a short rest, provided it looks safe, and if there is room. I don’t go out of my travel trailer to get back into my tow vehicle if I have any concerns about safety especially when it’s dark and I can’t see what is around me. Most rest areas tend to be noisy, so sleep is only possible for short intervals – enough to let me get refreshed enough to get back on the road.
Thank you, RV Travel. I cannot recall ever taking a nap in a rest area. We did overnight in a Kansas rest area once and got a good night’s sleep, but no nap. Happy new year and safe travels! 🙂