Sleeping, at times, is a highly developed skill. One of my college roommates was "trained" to be able to sleep while standing. I know (for a fact) that my friend Grace could out-nap anyone. As for me, I've got the ability to lose consciousness within 5 minutes of hitting the pillow.
A train nap, however, requires a differnt skill set. Sure anyone can pass out on their way to Grand Central, but only a true retummoc learns to sleep in both directions. Okay, regular commuters can have this skill too, but in their numbers somebody is bound to wake you at your stop. I've never slept through my stop on a nothbound train (knock on cushion) and have attributed this to three vital assets:
1. Good internal clock - being able to wake up and know how much time has passed is very important. Admittedly, I have woken to a panic of not knowing where I am.
2. Knowing your route - to alleviate panic its good to build up visual references between stops.
3. Focused response to stimuli - your body needes to respond to movements and sounds of the train, and ignore nearby chatter.
These skills should be refined through practice before attempting to use them on a northbound train. I suggest training and testing yourself on the way to Grand Central. Or you could always take the easy route and befriend a reliable insomniac.
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