Budget Travel - Sleeping in an Airport on a Budget

So in October I'll be traveling to Jamaica and the flight from DCA leaves around 6AM. Unfortunately I doubt I'll be able to find someone willing to drive me at 3-4AM in the morning on a Thursday, so I am considering sleeping outside DCA the night before(will take the metro there the night before) to save money on a cab.

Unfortunately I don't have any air mattresses or very much stuff to keep me busy.

I've read sleepinginairports.net pretty much back to front but it didn't really go into very much detail and also I am curious if any of you have slept in an airport and what your preferred accommodations(air mattresses, sleeping bags, etc) are?

There is a 24/7 dunkin donuts so at least I'll have a bathroom I can use. I was a little bummed to find out the airport lounges aren't open until 7am for the most part, which means no hanging out in there drinking... You'd think an airport like DCA would be a 24/7 hub but I guess there aren't that many late night flights.

Thoughts, comments, is sleeping outside of DCA a bad idea? Any low budget items you can recommend to make it a lot more comfortable or amusing?

I'll be traveling by myself and will be packing pretty light,and I will hide my wallet and personal stuff like cell phone really well and use it as a pillow.

Where are you staying? Are you on a domestic flight out of DCA? For a 6am domestic, I don't think you'd need to be there before 5am--security is fast and it's not so busy that early in the morning.

I've done a couple of outrageously low MRs out of DCA where I have taken Megabus down from NYC and then the Metro from Union Station to DCA arriving around 2:30AM. Since my flights were at 6AM or so getting a hotel room for a couple hours was not worth it. I stretched out on the chairs on the lower level and yes the Dunkin Donuts is open all night. But like all airports the heavy cleaning gets done at night so do not expect any real sleep. The couple of times I've done it believe it or not DCA was full of people overnight.

IIRC the concourses open around 4:30AM. The AA AC opens at 5AM, not sure about the other clubs.

Sleeping in airports alone probably isn't the greatest idea. Like newyorkgeorge, I usually stay up. Usually I bring some reading materials, etc to keep me occupied. For the most part, no one hassles you about being there overnight. They see it almost every night.

That said, I certainly have seen people with sleeping bags, the whole nine yards. But generally the best thing to do is read sleepinginairports.net and find out where there are seats without dividers. Then you can actually lay down a little bit rather than sitting uncomfortably.

Why do you say "sleeping outside" DCA? The terminal should be open 24/7.

Why do you say "sleeping outside" DCA? The terminal should be open 24/7.

I should have clarified but I mean outside the secure area, If I read the reviews correctly they don't let people sleep in the secured area past midnight.

I actually live in the DC area but the metro doesn't open until 6 so I can't metro in and as a city person I don't have a car.

Rather than take a cab or get someone to drop me off extremely early I figure I'll just urban camp overnight.

Is it worth it to get an inflatable pool raft and sleep on that or will the cleaning people give me too much hassle?

I was thinking of getting a pool raft for the beach/pool for where I'm going so that might beat a sleeping bag.

I figure a master lock+chain and I can secure my stuff to me/the bench closest to me, anyone trying to cut it would wake me up...

Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated, I figure I save at least $50 by not taking a cab in the morning and also because the cabs around here are super unreliable.

Is it odd that I'm looking forward to sleeping in an airport?

Is it odd that I'm looking forward to sleeping in an airport?

Not sure, but it sure brings into question your handle ;)

And the reason for no flights at night is because where the airport is located.

Suppose you could buy one of those $10 air mattresses and hide it somewhere before you fly and hope no one finds it until you come back.

EmailKid

Sleeping at the airports is kind of OK if you are prepared. Be prepared to sleep on the floor (normally the least unconfortable place to sleep). At some airports you might have to show your ticket to security. Always do some research in advance (read sleepingairports.net etc) and don't forget to check that the airport is open during the time. Of course this time you don't have this problem but you never know where you end up the next time... If planning to sleep at the airports in future, buying a light blanket might be a good idea. Much easier to carry than a mattress.

I did it only once at Madrid (in the dodgy old terminals), and would probably never do it again.

I eventually found some seats to sleep on in a quiet area of the airport, and then put my arm through the straps of my backpack and then under my head (if that makes sense) for security, so that essentially it would tug at me if anyone tried to take something....

Not sure where you live that you are urban enough to not need a car but a cab to DCA is $50 (ftr, I am in NWDC and carless, a cab would cost me around $20-25); but anyway, have you checked supershuttle? Shared ride from my place runs $14 one way.

I've slept in a couple airports before and I'm not sure I would recommend it to you because you are asking about an air mattress. If you want to be comfortable or get a good night sleep, forget it. The only reason I would do it is if saving money is more important to you than sleeping. Since you are going to Jamaica, just bring a beach towel to lay on the floor and use a swim wrap to cover you. Don't expect to sleep unless you are the type that can sleep through anything. Ever if there aren't many other travelers sleeping (there are always a few), you've got the cleaning staff, security, etc. Nobody ever hassled us but we were always exhausted the next day.

Somehow, I was able to sleep in a bathroom stall (in HKG)- I rested my head on the roller suitcase and set an alarm clock next to my ear. Not a fun night, but it worked. I've slept in other airports too...scratch that, I've spent the NIGHT in other airports too, but none were quite as small as DCA. In fact, when I was doing this in BOS last year, I relied on a 24-hour Dunkin' Donuts for entertainment. If you really need to sleep, find the "quietest" stall in the airport and do it well.

I actually live in the DC area but the metro doesn't open until 6 so I can't metro in and as a city person I don't have a car.

This is the exact reason to sleep in an airport. I agree with other posters though that the air mattress is a tad extreme.

Personally, I think you are somewhat crazy to want to spend the night in the airport on purpose. I did this once on accident when I misread the time my flight was leaving, and it wasn't as terrible as it could have been, but sleeping is difficult. The main issues are light and noise. They obviously leave the lights on in airports all night, and the cleaning staff vacuums at night. If you do actually do it, I highly recommend going all out and bringing a tent and air matress to make things less horrible.

Bring ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones to help drown out the night shift cleaners. Floor is pretty standard for most comfortable, I usually look for a carpeted area cause that's about as good as it will get. In airports like DIA, you have the advantage of sleeping between the two sets of doors diving the drop off area and ticketing counters (though you may need that sleeping bag in the winter). Just expect to sleep on the flight and be groggy on arrival.

I can understand wanting to save a buck, but if you are going to 'slum' it I don't see why you'd bring an air mattress, etc. If 'quality' sleep is that important to you, spend the extra few bucks and sleep in your own bed!

I do have a good example of a lock you can use while sleeping at the airport, these wire locks are light and simple and you canloop them through zippers, etc to really secure your stuff. There are some slightly cheaper models out there too

http://preparedness.com/lewnclartrav.html

I suspect the post is a wind-up but for the price of an air mattress get a buddy to drive you to the airport and the next time you go out, the beers are on you. An air mattress is around $20 even at Kmart so you are not really saving much money over the $50 cab ride by the time you buy an air mattress and whatever other treats you require to get your through the night. If you are so friendless no one will drop you off in exchange for a pitcher of beer and next time you be the one to drop them off, I'm not sure what else to say. Heck for the projected cost of $30 bucks for air mattress plus, you could buy the friend a couple of martinis even in DC!

You can get a little pool float mattress for $3-4 and it makes resting more comfortable. You will likely not get any real sleep. Otherwise, it is certainly do-able, and I used to do it in student days to save money on travel.

Peachfront, your comments are rude.

http://lh6.googleusercontent.com/public/OtU1OwEOykoF5cn1dJa8SSskeDUC4flZYPnJsZonimxR_IGSAC aA4QovxavkiE9ZHpGTSR5aysAmhkDqKInZ0gcvNhrgBM9N6ksA hvokFPQRF3By3Ke5mveq1oWIsSLb27D7YhhPMsGMA8iSjiNPiU qnYMc5LKvGwgKi0-66

If you are so friendless no one will drop you off in exchange for a pitcher of beer and next time you be the one to drop them off, I'm not sure what else to say. Heck for the projected cost of $30 bucks for air mattress plus, you could buy the friend a couple of martinis even in DC!

I'm not friendless but I prefer not to have a friend need to wake up at 3am or so in order to get me to an airport.

That said, I already have an air mattress.

If anyone has slept at DCA overnight I'm interested to know how cold it was, whether bringing a blanket is necessary, if they frown on inflatables/air mattresses, etc.

A few times in the past I've picked up one of the pool type mattresses like Doc Savage posted. They were literally like $2.99 at Walmart. New in their original packaging they are an extremely compact and flat so they are nothing to carry. After use I have more than once just threw them away in the nearest trash bin since at $3 per they are practically a disposable commodity, not worth lugging around after they have outlived their intended purpose.

I dont have a problem with it, it wasnt the most comfortable experience of my whole life but not too bad, a pool float would have made it much more comfortable!
This was February in EWR, as a 43year old woman travelling alone, I didnt feel unsafe or anything

If I were you I'd sleep at home and take a cab. The extra money you'd spend on the cab would be worth the peace of mind and sanity of not having to sleep at DCA.

When I was younger I very rarely used taxis, but now the time saved vs. waiting for public transit makes a cab ride more appealing. (i.e. spending $20 to go from Rosslyn to DCA in 10 minutes, vs. having to schlep my bags and fight the crowds on the Metro).

I've done more than a few overnights at the airport. Sometimes its actually fun. There's always a bunch of people doing the same thing for the same reason. Try and find them, you're kindred souls. Might make some new friends. I wouldn't worry about anyone stealing from ya. Most people just lie on top of or next to their bags. No one is going to steal it. If you want to steal bags at an airport, you just go to the arrivals area and take one from the carrousel, not from someone who might wake up and chase after you.

You can always find a Denny's somewhere and just hang out for 4-5 hours drinking coffee too :)

train yourself to sleep on the floor at home first.
i used to sleep in my office when i was a graduate student with a sleeping bag.
then i learned sleeping in the airport later. the skill works well. and i log over 30 nights a year for sleeping at the airport to save money.
with eye shade, ear plug and sleeping bag, i sleep pretty much everywhere flat.

Personally, I think you are somewhat crazy to want to spend the night in the airport on purpose. I did this once on accident when I misread the time my flight was leaving, and it wasn't as terrible as it could have been, but sleeping is difficult. The main issues are light and noise. They obviously leave the lights on in airports all night, and the cleaning staff vacuums at night. If you do actually do it, I highly recommend going all out and bringing a tent and air matress to make things less horrible.

I personally think YOU must be somewhat crazy to "highly recommend going all out and bringing a tent and air mattress to make things less horrible." You wouldn't have anywhere to leave your tent or mattress afterwards, so they'd be forfeit. Where are you going to pound in those tent stakes, btw? Might as well just suck it up and pay $50.00 for that cab.

As for sleeping in airports, it ain't all that bad if you're prepared for it. Most people aren't PLUS most people seem to suffer from this ridiculous stigma of how horrible it must be to sleep in an airport. How low have I sunk? What will others think of me?

Thankfully I grew up playing in the mud and dirt, riding bikes without pads and helmets, climbing trees without supervision and not getting neurotic about germs or what others thought about what I did even if it didn't happen to be in the mainstream. So when it comes to sleeping in airports, if it makes sense financially or otherwise, then I'd just DO it and don't get caught up with all this other BS. What's all this nonsense about air mattresses and tents? What - you've never slept on a floor before?! Just bring a small pillow and find a nice carpeted area or some chairs you can stretch out on. Bring some eye shades as well as a small alarm clock. And you might consider a blanket because some airports can be a bit chilly at night, even inside. If you don't want to drag that blanket down to Jamaica with you, then pick up a cheap one at a thrift shop. And if you don't do thrift shops, then God help you. Have a good trip and a good night!

P.S. A Thermarest Pad is a lot more comfortble to sleep on than an inflateable pool type mattress. They roll up nice and compactly but cost about $40.00. Below is a picture of my set-up when I sleep in airports. That pillow goes on top of my daypack.


http://images58.fotki.com/v132/photos/2/211932/10172651/AIRPORTBED-vi.jpg ( http://public.fotki.com/Seat2A/2011-autumn-perigri/airport-bed-jpg.html)
How to sleep well in an airport. I put the pillow atop my daypack.

I was a flight attendant in my previous life, and would get drunk and miss late night flights and have to find places to crash.... Like airports. Pre 911 it was easy to find good places to crash, afterwards i got hassled.

It has been 10 years since i had to crash on an airport floor, and am really interested to see how loose security is now days (judging by this post).

I reread the OP... I say bad idea. Not because of anything else but the sleep in an airport sucks, and should only be done out of necessity... Or serious intoxication

I'm going to be sleeping over in an airport if my travel plans change early next year. I think the best thing to do would be to find out where the best seats or spots are!

If you happen to be at KUL, it never seemed too busy late at night, particular in the area behind the escalators that lead to immigration (there's a Chinese restaurant in one corner). If you are transiting from the main terminal to the budget one, and manage to kill enough time, there's a cafeteria in the budget terminal area (never mind that there's a Tune hotel en situ as well) with wi-fi. Unfortunately, I can't recall if it's a 24-hour cafeteria.

I've also stayed overnight at HKG in a restroom stall, not fun but not loud (it was a rather disconnected restroom in T1, pre-security, though I reckon T2 would have quieter ones, as it's much less used, at night anyway).

If you are transiting from the main terminal to the budget one, and manage to kill enough time, there's a cafeteria in the budget terminal area (never mind that there's a Tune hotel en situ as well) with wi-fi. Unfortunately, I can't recall if it's a 24-hour cafeteria.

I've also stayed overnight at HKG in a restroom stall, not fun but not loud (it was a rather disconnected restroom in T1, pre-security, though I reckon T2 would have quieter ones, as it's much less used, at night anyway).

You mention transiting. If you arrive very late and your flight isn't until the next day, you might want to stay inside the airport after you arrive.

I've had two friends go thru Singapore with "overnight" connections. One left the terminal only to be stuck on the outside because he had to go fetch his luggage, while the other one waited inside. We all know the Singapore airport is a nice one to be stuck inside! You can read my review of the airport here (http://worldtraveldude.com/singapore-changi-airport-review/)

The ticking doesn't open until 7am or so.

Happy overnighting! :) I'

Last year i spend two nights at Heathrow and one in Barcelona, was my first time flying across the pond, and trying to save every little cent i could i booked Tucson-London with United, and 20hrs later a flight London-Madrid with British, and same thing on the return (this time was just 12hrs but also on the middle of the night).

To prepare for this i read sleepinginairports.net to get an idea of what to do, before departing i put on my backpack that i was using as carry-on a clean tshirt, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, a small blanket (and i kept the blanket from the plane too, sorry but i'm a desert girl and London was too cold for me!! one blanket wouldn't have been enough), neck pillow and a hairbrush (since i'm a girl with long hair and didn't want to look with crazy hair the next day!!), and after paying a few pounds to keep the rest of my luggage safe i hit the city to see as much as i could, and at night i returned to the airport, decided to stay on the arrivals area of T3 since i had read that was a good place to sleep and my next flight departed from that terminal, got some nice large bench all by myself, used my neck pillow, my blankets, and had probably 5hrs of sleep, security wasn't a problem, the airport was quiet after midnight (not frequently loud announcements), and on the early morning i went to retrieve my luggage, went to one of those huge family bathrooms, did a cowbow bath, put a new pair of clothes, bought a coffee and ready to go for my next flight!!! Was a good experience for my first night sleeping at an airport!!

Then was my night at Barcelona, i had a 6am flight with RyanAir, and the buses and metro start at something like 5am so, my only option was to sleep there, since i didn't had luggage was just with my carry on this was uncomfortable between the loud announcements, the cold floor (no blankets this time!), the security people coming frequently and asking for your tickets (if you didn't show any paper that said you had a ticket they would kick you out of the terminal!!), good thing was that around 4 or 5 when security opened i was one of the first persons to pass to the secure area, grabbed a bench and sleep a few minutes before the plane started boarding.

Return flight to London i arrived late, couldn't pay to keep my luggage on a safe place, so, i put everything on a cart, but put my shoes and my metallic water bottle on this position that if someone moved the cart would made a lot of noise, so that was my anti-theft system, again used my blankets and pillow i had probably 6 good hours of sleep on a bench next to the counters of some airline, was really quiet, i sleep until the workers arrived at 6am and started with check in for their customers.

So, on my overall experience has been good, you also meet lots of people on the same situation than you, if you can't sleep there is some people who will also be awake and you can talk to them and share stories, is a good experience!! of course an hotel or hostel is better but sometimes the budget or time make it impossible so, just do it!! but before do your homework and read a little bit about it, which are the best places to sleep, take with you some stuff to make your stay more comfortable (blanket, pillow, etc), just try to keep your mind open, do it and at the end you will have a cool story to tell friends and family back home!

I did it only once at Madrid (in the dodgy old terminals), and would probably never do it again.

I eventually found some seats to sleep on in a quiet area of the airport, and then put my arm through the straps of my backpack and then under my head (if that makes sense) for security, so that essentially it would tug at me if anyone tried to take something....

If you do this right, I've found this to be quite an effective pillow, in addition to the security issue.

I'm a guy and I can't imagine traveling with a pillow on me. A light blanket, maybe.

I don't travel with my backpack too often anymore, but I used to use the backpack-pillow technique in my high school years :D

Backpack for pillow makes for a big pillow!

I always snap my backpack onto something when I'm sleeping. 95% of crime is a crime of opportunity, so if they give it a quick tug and it doesn't budge, it's pretty unlikely to get stolen. There's places in South America where I've had policia (english "police") come tell me to watch my bag, so I wouldn't trust that there, they've got knives for snipping stuff (the paranoid either weave guitar string thru all their straps or buy a PacSafe (http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=pacsafe&linkCode=ur2&tag=flrtk-20&url=search-alias%3Daps)).

Another good technique is to put a bell on your backpack. Thieves like quiet. I used to have a stainless-steel cup on my bag. It klanged all over the place on buses and the like. Sadly, I was using it for a week as the cup for my rum and coke, and someone broke into my room that week and nabbed my camera. Karma.

Backpack for pillow makes for a big pillow!

I always snap my backpack onto something when I'm sleeping. 95% of crime is a crime of opportunity, so if they give it a quick tug and it doesn't budge, it's pretty unlikely to get stolen. There's places in South America where I've had policia (english "police") come tell me to watch my bag, so I wouldn't trust that there, they've got knives for snipping stuff (the paranoid either weave guitar string thru all their straps or buy a PacSafe (http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=pacsafe&linkCode=ur2&tag=flrtk-20&url=search-alias%3Daps)).

Another good technique is to put a bell on your backpack. Thieves like quiet. I used to have a stainless-steel cup on my bag. It klanged all over the place on buses and the like. Sadly, I was using it for a week as the cup for my rum and coke, and someone broke into my room that week and nabbed my camera. Karma.

Thieves like quiet? Then why are they bopping around city buses and tourist traps just as lithely?

With SuperStorm Sandy disrupting flights, many folks likely are sleeping in airports now.

When I have to overnight in an airport (usually due to weather), I do take precautions to protect my stuff. I put my wallet and money inside my clothing as close to my skin as possible.

I wear a Scott-e-Vest or similar with my electronics in the pockets.

I use my carry on bag as a pillow.

I make friends with people around me to watch stuff when leaving the immediate area to get to the toilet or to fetch food (but I still wear my valuables)

And, I don't sleep much.

I plan to sleep in Stockholm Arlanda upon arrival in January, as I am scheduled to arrive around midnight, and I'd rather not pay for a room that I'd only use for under 10 hours (even though the converted 747 hostel is tempting). I haven't decided if I should remain inside Terminal 5, where I think it might be quieter and less busy. Is the 7-11 Express in T5 open 24 hours? Are there luggage lockers in terminal 5 (I believe they are available pre-security)?

Never had a problem sleeping in terminals...in fact, at EWR they kick you out of the secured area....then you must sleep on the hard floor. The great thing about Newark, is that around 8 or 9 pm...most flights are done, and the homeless and bums in the know come into the terminal and pick the choice spots. !!! that night, no cold floor for me.....I snagged one of the hot air vents built into the sidewalls....slept like a baby. Had a nice chat with the local hobo next to me, sadly another nam vet dealing with PTS.

With SuperStorm Sandy disrupting flights, many folks likely are sleeping in airports now.

When I have to overnight in an airport (usually due to weather), I do take precautions to protect my stuff. I put my wallet and money inside my clothing as close to my skin as possible.

I wear a Scott-e-Vest or similar with my electronics in the pockets.

I use my carry on bag as a pillow.

I make friends with people around me to watch stuff when leaving the immediate area to get to the toilet or to fetch food (but I still wear my valuables)

And, I don't sleep much.

On a related item....I saw a backpack with a steel cable harness wrapped around it. Guy said he bought it in Mexico...no way do you get into that pack, you lock it to a post and it is there waiting for the key.

On a related item....I saw a backpack with a steel cable harness wrapped around it. Guy said he bought it in Mexico...no way do you get into that pack, you lock it to a post and it is there waiting for the key.

Was it a PackSafe (href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=pacsafe&linkCode=ur2&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Apacsafe&tag=flrtk-20&url=search-alias%3Daps)? I always wondered if having one of those metal cages for your backpack was calling more attention to your bad than you'd want. It says, "something in here is really valuable, steal it!"

As for thieves liking quiet, they are trying to be sneaky and not get caught. As soon as a bag makes any noise, they're dropping it and running. Noise calls attention to the bad things they're doing! :)

I just slept in Miami Airport. It was freezingly cold. Had to go outside once in a while. It was comfortable, hot outside, but freezingly cold inside. Didn't make any sense. It was not comfortable and wifi is chargeable :( Low cost airport Ft. Lauderdale offers free internet!

t was comfortable, hot outside, but freezingly cold inside. Didn't make any sense.
It offsets the heat created by having thousands of bodies pass through during the day. In some cases, it's more effective to leave the temperature at a constant than lessen it at night and make it work harder to bring it to acceptable levels come daytime.

There was some poll recently about the best airports to sleep in: http://www.sleepinginairports.net/2012/best-airports.htm. I've spent the night in Changi Airport (Singapore) before, and it's perfect for a few hours' nap. Plus there's free wi-fi and 24hr restaurants :)

THey hassled you eve with FA credentials?

I was a flight attendant in my previous life, and would get drunk and miss late night flights and have to find places to crash.... Like airports. Pre 911 it was easy to find good places to crash, afterwards i got hassled.

It has been 10 years since i had to crash on an airport floor, and am really interested to see how loose security is now days (judging by this post).

I reread the OP... I say bad idea. Not because of anything else but the sleep in an airport sucks, and should only be done out of necessity... Or serious intoxication

I have slept in airports in most of my travels since I like to take early flights to places that I like to go to. In anticipation to lounges being closed at night, I usually take a break earlier...

Imo, it's not worth it, if you save up only $50.
You'll spend that in the airport anyway, same dunkin donuts since you'll be bored anyway, I don't know at least for me it's hard to sleep in public places, i would not feel comfortable with that.
So I would rather spend those $50 than sleep in the airport.

I've slept in airports a few times. The worst was in 1998, when I had to spend 36 hours in Paris de Gaulle as the result of a French rail strike. (Was broke, needed to come from Spain on a rail pass before the strike began.) That's one of the worst airports in the world, and it was a truly miserable experience. Molded plastic chairs make sleep impossible.

Last March, weather caused me to miss a connecting flight at Dulles. Waited on standby forever, finally got into a 6am flight. Dulles wasn't the worst airport I've slept in.

I agree with airports can be very cold overnight. I would pack a small blanket (if you don't need it, use it for a pillow)

Imo, it's not worth it, if you save up only $50.
You'll spend that in the airport anyway, same dunkin donuts since you'll be bored anyway, I don't know at least for me it's hard to sleep in public places, i would not feel comfortable with that.
So I would rather spend those $50 than sleep in the airport.

Where can you find a place for $50 near an airport in the US/Europe? Plus R/T transport?

I am not sure what I think:

One one hand society doesn't mind people sleeping in the airport. Or tolerates.

On the other hand, airports do nothing to help - sleeping areas, etc. Singapore is the one exception I can think of.

A communal sleeping chair area charging $10 and requiring some proof of travel would be a nice thing.

Sleeping in airports alone probably isn't the greatest idea. Like newyorkgeorge, I usually stay up. Usually I bring some reading materials, etc to keep me occupied. For the most part, no one hassles you about being there overnight. They see it almost every night.

That said, I certainly have seen people with sleeping bags, the whole nine yards. But generally the best thing to do is read sleepinginairports.net and find out where there are seats without dividers. Then you can actually lay down a little bit rather than sitting uncomfortably.

Why do you say "sleeping outside" DCA? The terminal should be open 24/7.

that is a good site to visit but there are probably just a handful of reviews by complete strangers (whom you can't verify actually did so). but it would take a pretty bored person to make something like that up.