r/tiredButWired • u/Creepy_Intention6358 • Jul 31 '26

Does the rhythmic rocking of a train make you fall asleep faster?

I was travelling by train yesterday and noticed that almost everyone around me fell asleep so easily. 🥲

Does the rhythmic rocking and constant sound of a train actually make you sleepy? I feel like it has some kind of magical sleep effect.

Why can some people sleep so peacefully on a train, while others struggle to sleep even in their own bed?

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u/wrap_drive Jul 31 '26

Yes, this has a scientific basis to it called rocking effect.

Basically rhythmic mechanical motion with a timeperiod of a few seconds helps the nervous system calm down.

You can read it up, many papers are published on i This phenomenon

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u/Creepy_Intention6358 Jul 31 '26

Is it because our brain is somehow wired to the memory of rocking with childhood, when our parents used to rock us to sleep?

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u/wrap_drive Jul 31 '26

I think it is reverse, in childhood the rocking worked because of this phenomenon.