Whether you’re trying to pull a prank, spy on a conversation, or simply avoid interaction with your housemates, pretending to be asleep can be quite an efficient way of preventing someone from bothering you. Alternatively, you might also want to make other people believe you’ve had a good night’s sleep the evening before, even though that might not actually be the case. Either way, here are some ways you can successfully fake sleep:
How to pretend you are asleep
If you want to pretend to sleep, while still making it look real and convincing, the trick is to be as natural as possible. Here’s how you can achieve just that:
- Choose a natural position – Lie in your bed in the most natural, and the most comfortable sleeping position you can think of. Essentially, get it a position you’d normally take when trying to fall asleep. This way, there’s less of a chance someone will find your fake sleeping suspicious.
- Try not to move – Most people move quite rarely throughout the night when they are sleeping naturally, which is why it would be a good idea to stay as still as possible when fake sleeping, and avoid suspicion.
- Carefully close your eyes – To give the best impression of sleep, try not to pinch your eyelids together tightly. Instead, try to relax all of your facial muscles, as well as your eyelids, and let them droop and close carefully and gently.
- Be mindful of your breathing – To make your fake sleeping more believable, try to relax, and keep your breathing as even as possible. All of your breaths should be deep, slow, and equal.
- Remember to be reactive – Even while we are sleeping, our brains are still subconsciously aware of our surroundings, leading our bodies to react to outside stimuli in a more subtle manner. So, if you want to make your fake sleeping seem more convincing, try to incorporate “unconscious” reactions to movement and sound. For example, if someone touches you, or you hear a loud noise, slightly twitch your body, and take a sudden short breath. Make sure not to open your eyes or smile, as this might uncover the fact that you are awake.
How to fake a good night’s rest
If you haven’t slept at all throughout the night or got very little sleep, but you still want to appear as though you’re well-rested, here are some tricks to help you look more awake:
- Take a quick, cold shower – Cold water increases your heart rate and helps to speed up the metabolism, as the body tries to warm itself naturally. That’s why spending a couple of minutes in the cold shower might help to wake you up.
- Continue your usual morning routine – Brushing your teeth and hair, as well as getting dressed, are some of the most important steps you need to take if you want to appear awake and rested as usual. It would also be a good idea to go through your regular morning routine, such as doing skincare and putting on makeup, to help keep up appearances.
- Drink a cup of coffee – Caffeine is a quick and efficient solution to boosting your energy level in a matter of minutes, which is why drinking a cup of coffee in the morning might be a good way of perking yourself up. Alternatively, you could also try a strong tea or an energy drink.
- Try to stay active – If you sit around or lie down during the day, your body might feel extremely tired due to the lack of sleep. So, try to keep moving by walking, jogging or doing another physical activity, in order to stay alert, and fight off sleepiness.
Whether you’re pretending to sleep or faking a good night’s rest, these effective tips and tricks will help you successfully keep up appearances.
