How to Pretend to Sleep

Oh no… is your father, mother, or roommate walking towards you? Pretending to sleep is a way to avoid talking to someone, and sometimes, you might even overhear what they're saying. We’ve gathered a collection of tips and tricks to help you maintain a calm appearance without anyone realizing you're pretending. But what if you want to convince yourself that you’ve had a restful night’s sleep? Don’t worry, we’ve got that covered too. Scroll down to find a few simple strategies to make you feel refreshed and alert.

Lie in the most natural position possible. Place your legs on the bed, don’t hold anything, and avoid lifting your head. If you usually sleep on your stomach, do so while pretending to sleep. Your loved ones won’t think twice about seeing you sleep in this position.

People rarely move when they’re in a deep sleep. To make others believe you’re genuinely asleep, it’s best to stay as still as possible. Unless someone watches you sleep for an extended period, try to stay motionless.

Avoid squeezing your eyes shut. For the most natural look, relax your muscles, including your eyelids.

• Look downward when closing your eyes to prevent your eyelids from fluttering.
• People’s eyes typically don’t shut completely when they sleep. Lower your eyelids slightly and keep them partially closed; you can still see through the slight opening.
• To mimic REM sleep (the rapid eye movement stage), you can move your eyes gently underneath the closed eyelids.
• You may even experience muscle twitches while sleeping. Try twitching your forehead and jaw muscles to add a realistic effect.

Breathe slowly, evenly, and deeply. You should relax while breathing and aim to make each breath as even as possible. Count in your mind as you inhale, then try to exhale for the same duration. Repeat this for each breath.

If you hear a loud noise or are touched, take a short, subtle breath and gently shift your body. Even when asleep, our bodies are still aware of what's happening around us. You can convincingly pretend to sleep by using your body’s natural reactions to noise and movement.

• After reacting to disturbances, relax your body again and return to slow, steady breathing.
• Remember not to laugh or open your eyes, or you’ll give yourself away.

Remove some blankets from the bed and turn on a fan. The sound of the fan will drown out other noises and help you focus on your "sleep." The ideal temperature for your body while sleeping is between 16-19°C. Cooling your body and the room will help you avoid dozing off, even if you’re pretending to sleep with your eyes closed.

• Open a window if possible to let fresh air into the room.
• Use an ice pack under the blanket if you live in a hot climate.

Subtly wear headphones and listen to fast-paced, loud music. Hide the headphones with your hair or blanket. Upbeat music can boost your adrenaline, helping you stay alert while pretending to sleep.

• Choose rock, hip hop, or energetic EDM tracks. Avoid soft classical music, as it may make you sleepy.

Do quick mental calculations with complex numbers as fast as possible. Routine tasks tend to make you sleepy, but high-paced tasks can help keep you awake. Try subtracting random numbers or multiplying 2- or 3-digit numbers to force your brain to stay active.

• Pick any number and subtract 7 until you end up with a negative number.

Sit up for 1-2 minutes to wake up your body. If no one is around, sit up to signal to your body that it’s not sleep time. If someone enters while you're sitting up, simply pretend to wake up suddenly from a dream. Afterward, you can lie back down and close your eyes again.

Hide caffeinated drinks or snacks nearby to secretly stay awake for hours. Grab a few cans of caffeinated soda, coffee, tea, or chocolate bars. You don’t need to finish the whole can of soda or cup of coffee – especially if you don't normally drink caffeinated beverages – just take a few sips to help you stay awake while pretending to sleep.

• A can of caffeinated soda contains about ¼ of the caffeine in a cup of coffee.
• A chocolate bar contains about 1/8 of the caffeine in a cup of coffee.
• Pour caffeinated drinks into a colored water bottle to make them look less suspicious.
• Place the bottle on your nightstand or on the floor next to the bed.
• You’ll feel the effects of caffeine around 45 minutes after consuming it.
• Note that caffeine takes over 6 hours to completely leave your system, so you might have trouble falling asleep afterward!

Take a quick cold shower under the faucet. Cold water will increase your heart rate and accelerate your metabolism as your body tries to warm up. You don’t need to shower for long – just one minute is enough.

Change out of your pajamas and into your outfit for the day as the first step to appearing awake. Follow your morning routine, like washing your face and getting ready, to look presentable.

• Apply a face cream with caffeine to reduce puffiness under your eyes.
• Do everything as if you had a full night’s sleep to avoid disrupting your routine due to lack of rest.
• Sit down and place a cool towel on your eye bags for a few minutes.

Eat foods with complex carbohydrates and protein, like oatmeal and eggs, to fuel yourself for long-lasting energy. Avoid sugary foods that will cause a quick energy crash afterward.

Caffeine is a quick fix to keep your energy levels up. If you don’t usually drink coffee or tea, just half a cup will be enough to wake you up. If you need a cup of coffee to get going after a long sleep, you may want to drink two cups if you didn’t sleep well the night before.

Keep moving during the day to stay alert. If you sit still, your body will feel the exhaustion from the previous night’s poor sleep. Try doing 15-30 minutes of exercise to shake off the sleepiness.

Maintain your energy levels with nutritious snacks throughout the day. Avoid sugary foods and large meals to prevent energy crashes or drowsiness after eating.

• Include healthy fats from nuts, olive oil, and avocados.
• Eat plenty of protein from sources like eggs, yogurt, legumes, and meat.