About this site

The Railroaders’ Guide to Healthy Sleep website was produced by the U.S. Department of Transportation Volpe Center (Volpe Center) in Cambridge, MA, and is sponsored by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT). Originally launched on June 11, 2012 in collaboration with the Harvard Medical School Division of Sleep Medicine, the site was updated by the Volpe Center in 2015, serving as a major educational initiative for the railroad industry about the importance of sleep health. 

For railroaders, good sleep can improve safety and health, both on and off the job. Acknowledging that it is a challenge to balance work and life, especially while working unpredictable hours, the Railroaders' Guide to Healthy Sleep provides articles, videos, and real-life examples that aim to help you sleep well, enjoy friends and family life, and stay connected with your community.  The site provides practical steps and smart sleep tactics that you can use to combat fatigue, many of which may also benefit members of your household and extended support network, and allow them to best support your sleep needs.

Additionally, you can use the Anonymous Sleep Disorders Screening Tool to determine if you have symptoms that suggest a possible sleep disorder and should consider talking to a healthcare provider. Other online tools help you measure your overall sleepiness, discover daily patterns in alertness and sleepiness, and find sleep specialists in your area.

We’d like to hear from you. To continue to grow the website with useful information, tell us what you think of the site, and what sleep strategies work for you and your family at: RailroaderSleep@dot.gov.

The U.S. DOT does not provide referrals to healthcare providers or counsel people on the prevention, treatment, or diagnosis of specific medical problems. Advice on treatment or care of an individual patient should be obtained through consultation with a physician or other healthcare professional—one that has examined the patient and is familiar with his or her medical history. It is not the intention of the U.S. DOT to provide specific medical advice, but rather to supply users with information to better understand their health and potential for sleep disorders. Specific medical recommendations will not be provided, and the U.S. DOT urges you to consult with a qualified physician for diagnosis and answers to your personal medical questions.