Air travel is romanticized. Time spent in airports, however, is remembered with an entirely different sentiment. Sleeplessness, delayed flights, cancellations, layovers… And sometimes, in the middle of the night, you find yourself among dozens of travelers curled up on the terminal floor, trying to claim a corner. Sleeping in Airports is a delightful internet miracle born out of exactly that experience.
In 1996, a backpacker who had to sleep on the floor of Dublin Airport out of sheer desperation made this site, which has now grown into a global resource covering over 1,200 airports. But what does this site do, why does it still exist, and why do so many people contribute to it?
More Than a Website: A Shared Diary for Travelers
Sleeping in Airports is, at its core, an airport review site. But unlike TripAdvisor, Skytrax, or Google Reviews, it focuses on one very specific question: Can you sleep here? This singular purpose makes the site incredibly sincere, functional, and unique. Users leave reviews of airports from all over the world. But these aren’t the usual “Was the staff smiling?” or “How long was the passport line?” kind of reviews. Instead, they focus on questions like: Where’s the best spot to lie down in the terminal? Do the seats recline enough to sleep? Is there a 24-hour Starbucks? Are the power outlets working? Will security wake you up? And most importantly: Can you make it through the night without being disturbed?
Rich Content: From Worst Seats to the Sweetest Naps
The content on Sleeping in Airports is divided into three main branches: airport rankings, user reviews, and practical survival tips.
The annual Best and Worst Airports for Sleeping lists act like a kind of “shame Oscars.” Changi (Singapore), Incheon (Seoul), and Helsinki usually top the charts, while places like New York JFK, Paris Beauvais, and Los Angeles LAX often fall into the “You’ll only have nightmares here” category. These rankings are more than just fun to read — they prompt some airports to improve their amenities.
Perhaps the most valuable feature of the site is the authenticity of its user-generated content. Some reviewers don’t just say “the seats were comfy,” they go as far as drawing floor plans to show exactly which bench to aim for. Some reviews read like short stories: lights shutting down, struggling against janitors’ vacuums all night, or a stranger silently leaving you a warm cup of coffee at dawn.
The site also offers excellent resources for those stranded in terminals. From recommending the best travel blankets and eye masks to showing how to access airport lounges on a budget, the tips are thorough and current. You’ll also find updates on free showers, Wi-Fi strength, power socket locations, and security patrol routines.
Why Sleeping in Airports Is Still Essential?
Today, air travel is far more accessible and common. But with the rise of low-cost carriers, long layovers, and frequent delays, time spent inside terminals has also increased. That’s exactly where Sleeping in Airports becomes a “survival manual.”
And it’s not just for backpackers. Business travelers, Erasmus students, pilgrims, even families use the site. Because at the end of the day, sleeping is a human condition. Even if you have a business class ticket, if your next flight is 14 hours away, a quiet spot to stretch out is priceless.
Design and User Experience
The site has a bit of a retro aesthetic, but its functionality remains solid. The homepage includes a search bar to instantly look up any airport. Each airport page includes a user rating, reviews, lounge information, and a “Where can I sleep?” section as a standard.
Contributing to the site is also easy. Anyone can leave a review, and some users go as far as emailing the editors with updates on airport renovations or policy changes.
The Power of Community: Not Yelp, But a Therapy Group
Perhaps the most charming aspect of Sleeping in Airports is its sincere tone. This is not a space for influencer reviews — it’s more like a place where fellow travelers say, “Hey buddy, I slept here too.”
Some reviews are hilarious:
“The benches at Bangkok Airport are so hard, they should give out spine awards instead of back pain.”
Others are deeply heartfelt:
“Thanks to the women-only rest area in Dubai, I could finally stop crying and fall asleep.”
This diversity shows that the site is both informative and profoundly human.
Is It Perfect? Of Course Not.
Naturally, the site has its flaws. The biggest issue is staying current. Some airport pages haven’t been updated in years. Given how frequently airports renovate and reconfigure, outdated information can be misleading. Also, the mobile experience still needs improvement.
Yet, these shortcomings don’t take away from the platform’s communal spirit. Sleeping in Airports was never meant to be corporate — it’s a collective memory bank.
Sleeping in Airports is one of those rare internet projects that remind you the web is still full of good people. Thousands of strangers contribute their personal experiences to make your night in transit just a little more bearable.
If your flight gets canceled, you’re forced to spend the night in an airport, or you’re just stuck in a multi-layover nightmare… no other site offers this level of honest, practical information.
And who knows, one day you might find yourself on that cold floor and leave behind a review like this:
“Woke up at 4:30 and decided to write this. Bench was comfy. Security didn’t bother me. Power outlet worked. God bless this site.”
