How do I wake up on the train at the right time every morning?!

In the spirit of Christmas merriment resulting in a higher level of mundane chitchat at work, some people today were enquiring, ‘how on earth do you sleep on the train? I just couldn’t, I would be so fearful of missing my stop.’

This led me to consider.

Somehow, everyday without fail, when the train pulls into my destination, I awake. I return from my peaceful slumber to the harsh reality of the working day. I don’t know how I comprehend in my sleep that it is my stop. I just do. I don’t think it is a consequence of the train stopping, because I sleep through previous stops without difficulty. There is just something that tells me, ‘Right, I’ve spent nigh on 58 minutes in this seat now. It’s time to wake up.’

There’s no science to it. Perhaps that is the vaguely worrisome thing about it. No science. No system. Therefore, there is every likelihood that, one day, the system fails. I’ll sleep past my train stop and end up in Waterloo.

Now for the maths bit....

If I continue to do this commute for, let’s say, 5 years (god help me) then that’s about 1,165 train journeys. Let’s say the chances of me sleeping in is a 0.5% chance (pretty insignificant if you ask me). However, that means I’m going to sleep past my train stop 6 times! Bugger!

This is the problem you see. My train stop is not at the end of the line. Indeed, it’s far from it. If I stay asleep, it could well be a misfortune that means I miss half the morning’s work. Obviously, that would be dreadful. I love work in the mornings! However, I’d need to produce a sparkling explanation as to why I was late. I think ‘I overslept on the train’ would only induce ridicule and, well, that’s hardly professional is it! :-)

It’s not even like I stir whilst the train is on its way between the stop before mine, and my stop. No, that would be too dependable. I awake once the train has already stopped and people are already queuing up to get off. I then hastily seize my bag, rub my eyes clear of sleep, and join the queue, to the restrained amusement of some of my fellow passengers who observe my rushed jumping up from my seat.

Perhaps I should set an alarm? ….


Christmas party number one tonight !!!