Uh oh… is your parent or roommate headed in your direction? Pretending to be asleep can give you a way out of interacting with someone; plus, it even lets you eavesdrop on everything they’re up to. We’ve put together plenty of simple tips and tricks together to help you pull off your best sleepy poker face without letting anyone else in on the ruse. But what if you’re trying to trick yourself into thinking that you got a good night’s sleep? We’ve got you covered there, too. Scroll to the bottom half of the article for some easy hacks to help you feel energized and awake.

3

Close Your Eyes Gently

  1. Avoid tightly pinching your eyelids together. To give the best impression of sleep, your muscles, including your eyelids, should be relaxed.
    • Look down as you close your eyes to keep your eyelids from fluttering.
    • Your eyes aren’t always fully closed when sleeping. Let your eyelids droop and close gently; you may still be able to see out of the slit of your eyelids.
    • To fake REM sleep (the deep stage sleep when your eyes move rapidly) look from side to side quickly with your eyelids closed.
    • You can even twitch the muscles in your face. Try twitching your forehead and jaw muscles for a convincing effect.[2]
  2. Advertisement
5

React to Noises or Touch

6

Keep Cool

  1. Take off some of the blankets on your bed and turn on a fan. When you have a fan on, it will also drown out some distracting noise, helping you focus on "sleeping".The temperature your body likes best for sleep is between 60–67 °F (16–19 °C).[5] Cooling down your body and your room can make it less tempting for you to fall asleep, even when you have your eyes closed as you fake sleep.[6]
    • Open a window if you can to get cool, fresh air.
    • Use an ice pack to keep yourself cool under the covers if you live in a hot place.
10

Have Caffeine

  1. Hide something caffeinated nearby to secretly stay up for hours. Grab some caffeinated soda (like Mountain Dew), coffee, tea, or a few pieces of chocolate. You don't need to drink a whole soda or an entire cup of coffee–especially if you don't normally drink caffeine. Just go for a few sips to keep you up while you fake sleep.
    • One can of caffeinated soda has about 1/4th of the caffeine in a cup of coffee.[11]
    • A chocolate bar has about 1/8th the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee.
    • Put your caffeinated drink into a solid-colored reusable water bottle so it doesn’t look suspicious.
    • Leave the bottle on your nightstand or on the floor by your bed.
    • You’ll feel the effects of caffeine about 45 minutes after you eat or drink something caffeinated.[12]
    • Keep in mind caffeine takes more than 6 hours to fully get out of your system, so you might not be able to fall asleep easily after you do this![13]

Expert Q&A

  • Question
    How can you tell if someone is fake snoring?
    Alex Dimitriu, MD
    Alex Dimitriu, MD
    Sleep Medicine & Psychiatry Professional
    Alex Dimitriu, MD is the Owner of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine, a clinic based in the San Francisco Bay Area with expertise in psychiatry, sleep, and transformational therapy. Alex earned his Doctor of Medicine from Stony Brook University in 2005 and graduated from the Stanford University School of Medicine's Sleep Medicine Residency Program in 2010. Professionally, Alex has dual board certification in psychiatry and sleep medicine.
    Alex Dimitriu, MD
    Sleep Medicine & Psychiatry Professional
    Expert Answer
    This is tricky, since real snoring can sound like a lot of different things. Depending on whether it’s regular snoring or sleep apnea, it might be quiet or loud, even or irregular. In fact, irregular breathing can happen when a person is awake or dreaming.
  • Question
    What happens when you fall asleep?
    Marc Kayem, MD
    Marc Kayem, MD
    Sleep Specialist
    Dr. Marc Kayem is a board certified Otolaryngologist and Facial Plastic Surgeon based in Beverly Hills, California. He practices and specializes in cosmetic services and sleep-related disorders. He received his Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Ottawa, is board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology, and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada.
    Marc Kayem, MD
    Sleep Specialist
    Expert Answer
    Sleeping causes most of the body's processes to slow down just a bit as the body rests, so breathing becomes much slower and regular. If you're trying to fake being asleep, maintain a steady rhythm of breaths in and out and make them very big.
Advertisement

About This Article

Marc Kayem, MD
Co-authored by:
Sleep Specialist
This article was co-authored by Marc Kayem, MD. Dr. Marc Kayem is a board certified Otolaryngologist and Facial Plastic Surgeon based in Beverly Hills, California. He practices and specializes in cosmetic services and sleep-related disorders. He received his Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Ottawa, is board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology, and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada. This article has been viewed 1,682,209 times.
447 votes - 42%
Co-authors: 147
Updated: March 22, 2023
Views: 1,682,209
Categories: Sleep Health

Medical Disclaimer

The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.

Article SummaryX

To fake sleep when you're trying to avoid someone, start by picking a natural sleeping position, closing your eyes gently, and breathing rhythmically. If you hear a loud noise or are touched, take a short, sudden breath and twitch your body slightly before settling back into stillness. In order to fake that you got a full night’s sleep, take a cold shower to increase your heart rate and get your metabolism going. Then, get dressed and complete your typical morning routine to keep up appearances. To learn how use makeup to reduce the look of puffy eyes, keep reading!

Did this summary help you?
Advertisement