Fake Sleep

If you are trying to avoid a roommate or parent, faking sleep can give you a way out of interacting with someone. Fooling someone into believing you are asleep can keep them from bothering you or allow you to listen and even watch their actions without them knowing. You can also fake that you slept the night before to be able to function after a late night out.

Steps

Pretending to be Asleep

  1. Lie in bed motionless. When you are naturally sleeping you will move very little. To give the impression that you are truly asleep it is best not to move. Unless someone is watching you sleep for an extended time period, you won’t be expected to move.[1]
  2. Close your eyes gently. 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.
  3. Breathe rhythmically. Take slow, even, deep breaths. You should relax your breathing and try to keep it as even as possible. Count in your head as you breath in, and then try to breath out for the same amount of time. Repeat this for each breath you take.[2]
  4. React to noises or touch. If you hear a loud noise or are touched, take a short, sudden breath and twitch your body slightly. Even during sleep our bodies are aware of what is happening around them. Sell your fake sleeping by incorporating what appear to be unconscious reactions to sounds and movements in the room.[3]
    • After you have reacted to the disturbance, let your body relax and your breathing return to a slow even state.
    • Be sure not to smile or open your eyes, or you will give away that you are actually awake.

Faking You Got a Full Night’s Sleep

  1. Take a cold shower. Jump in the shower for a quick rinse in cold water. The cool water will increase your heart rate and speed up your metabolism as your body tries to warm itself. You do not have to take a long shower, just a minute will do.[4]
  2. Dress up and complete your morning routine. Getting out of your pajamas and into nice clothes for the day is the first step to appearing awake. Complete your morning routine such as washing your face and putting on makeup to keep up appearances.
    • Apply a face cream that contains caffeine to reduce puffiness under the eyes.
    • Go through the actions as if you had a full night’s rest to keep your routine from being sabotaged by a lack sleep.
  3. Eat an energizing breakfast. Eat foods that contain complex carbohydrates and protein such as oatmeal and eggs for prolonged energy. Avoid sugary foods that will lead to an energy crash soon after eating.
  4. Drink coffee. A quick solution to dragging energy levels is caffeine consumption. If you don’t normally drink coffee, a half a cup can perk you right up. If you need coffee to function after a full night’s rest, consider having two cups if you didn’t sleep well.[5]
  5. Keep moving. Stay active during the day to stay alert. If you sit down to rest, your body will feel tired because you missed out on sleep the night before. Keep your body in motion to stave off the sleepiness.
  6. Snack throughout the day. Keep your energy level from sagging by eating nutritious snacks throughout the day. Avoid high sugar foods and large meals so that you don’t experience a sugar crash or feel sleepy from a large meal.[6]

Tips

  • Practice faking sleep alone by lying still and breathing slowly.
  • Be prepared to “wake up” if you are disturbed while you are faking being asleep.
  • You need to mentally stay alert while you fake sleep so you don’t end up falling asleep for real.
  • To stop smiling, bite both sides of your mouth at once, but not so that it's obvious from the outside.

Related Articles

  • [Deal With Lack of Sleep|How to Deal With Lack of Sleep]
  • [Fight Sleepiness|How to Fight Sleepiness]
  • [Not Feel Sleepy|How to Not Feel Sleepy]

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/what-happens-when-you-sleep
  2. ↑ http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/science/what/characteristics
  3. ↑ http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/mind-guest-blog/night-noise-what-a-sleeping-brain-hears/
  4. ↑ http://dailyhealthpost.com/5-surprising-reasons-to-take-cold-showers/
  5. ↑ https://sleepfoundation.org/shift-work/content/tips-staying-awake-the-job
  6. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/natural-tips-sleepiness
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