How to Become a Nocturnal Person

Train yourself gradually. It would be very difficult to move from an ordinary person who lives during the day to someone who sleeps during the day while the whole world is awake. Doing so will potentially cause you to lose sleep completely, meaning you force yourself to stay up all night but not be able to sleep well during the day. Instead, gradually practice staying up later each night and waking up later in the morning. Step back in time little by little, and in about a week or so, you won’t have much trouble staying awake or sleeping as you please.

• The first day of training, stay up as late as you can without forcing yourself. Stay awake until you feel like you can’t keep your eyes open any longer, then go to sleep. Don’t set an alarm, and close the windows so you don’t wake up to daylight. Sleep as late as you can, then wake up and go about your day.
• The next night, try to stay up an hour later than the night before, and get up an hour later.
• Continue this process until you are sleepy and wake up when you want.

Keep your mind busy. Staying up at night is easier if you do things that keep your mind active. Watching TV shows or movies is one way, although many times you’ll fall asleep in the middle of it. Try doing something that keeps you active, like reading a book or playing a game.

• Some people find that they become more creative at night. Try drawing pictures, composing music, writing essays in the middle of the night. Try not to go to bed until you feel like you can’t concentrate. Sometimes you won’t notice when it’s dawned.

Exercise at night. This is a good way to get your blood flowing and make you more alert instead of drowsy. Go outside for a run or a walk, the fresh air will also make you more alert. If you don’t want to go out, practice crunches and push-ups indoors to stay awake.

• Showering after exercise, preferably with cold water, will also help keep you awake.
• If you don’t like exercising, when you start to feel tired, stretch out and take a few deep breaths. The change in temperature will make your body more alert.

Eat dinner. Your body will stay awake for a while to start digesting what you eat. Cook some dishes and eat at midnight. Don’t eat the usual late-night foods, such as sandwiches or pizza, because these foods are already used by your body when it’s time to go to sleep. Instead, cook foods that you normally eat during the day, such as braised fish, vegetables. You should drink another glass of cold water.

Listening to music. If you’re not with someone who just likes to sleep in silence, turn up some fast-paced music to get your body moving. Choose music that makes you want to get up and dance or sing along, not music that makes you sleepy. If you’re afraid to wake others up, put on headphones.

Talk to people who are awake. Have you ever had a phone conversation with a friend that kept you both awake until the next morning? Talking to someone stimulates the brain, and it’s one of the best ways to keep you awake. If you have a friend who is also struggling to stay up at night and sleep during the day, make an appointment to call each other to talk.

• If you don’t know anyone who’s also trying to be nocturnal, use a chat app to connect with someone who lives in a different time zone – where everyone is still awake. If you talk to someone where it’s daytime, you’ll probably wake up right away.

Go shopping in stores that are open 24/7. Getting out of the house and going for a walk can help you stay awake. If you know of a shop or eatery that is open day and night, consider taking a walk to shop or eat for a few hours. This is often easier to do if you are in a city where there are people looking for places to go out at night.

• Make sure you stay in a safe and well-lit area when going outside. Because few people are out at that time, it is important that you are aware of your surroundings and take care of your own safety. Bring your phone and tell your loved ones where you are going before you leave the house.

Use caution when using caffeine. Caffeine is a great stimulant that keeps you awake for a few hours, and it’s great in case you need to stay up all night. However, if your goal is to become a permanent (or long-term) nocturnal person, you shouldn’t use caffeine as a solution to keeping you awake. A large amount of caffeine in your body will make it difficult for you to sleep during the day, but it is important that you get to sleep when you want so don’t deprive yourself of the opportunity to rest.

• The same goes for energy drinks containing other stimulants. It is better to slowly train your body to stay awake instead of forcing it with artificial means.