How to Fake Sleep07:03

There are many reasons why someone may want to fake that they are asleep. Maybe you want to pull a prank on someone like in the video above, or maybe you are curious about what you will overhear when someone believes that you are asleep.

Some kids like to fake sleep to trick their parents, and some people want to trick themselves in hopes that they will end up actually falling asleep. Regardless of the reason you want to fake sleep, here are some useful tips to help you do so successfully.

How to Prepare to Fake Sleep

There are a couple of different things that you can do to help you prepare to fake sleep. For instance, you might practice your controlled breathing, so you know how to keep it deep and even for an extended period of time.

Another great option is to get a sleep tracker and use it for several days up until when you are planning to fake sleeping. Make sure that you get a sleep monitor that will track stages by your heart rate throughout the night. This will help you know how relaxed and slow your breathing needs to be to keep your heart rate to a compatibly low level. A really good option is the Fitbit Charge 4.

Other things you can do include practicing minimizing your reactions to things. You can also set yourself up for successful fake sleeping by talking about how tired you are throughout the day. If you seem energized and awake all day and are suddenly asleep on the couch or in your bed, people may be more likely to be suspicious of whether or not you are actually sleeping.

The Best Way to Fake Sleep

The best way to fake sleep is to mimic real sleeping. I know that may sound obvious, but there are a variety of things that you can do to perfectly mimic what people would expect if you were actually asleep.

If you are able to do all of these things, nobody will even second guess that you are actually asleep. (Just be careful that you do not actually end up sleeping unless that is your goal.)

The first step to mimicking sleep is finding a natural position. A good way to figure out what a natural position for you is by considering what position you would actually get into to sleep. Very few people sleep like a board on their back, so if you choose that position, people may be suspicious of whether or not you are actually asleep.

Also, keep in mind that when you sleep, all of your muscles relax, which means they are not going to hold themselves up, so do not pretend to sleep with any arms or legs up in the air.

Next, let’s talk about closing your eyes. When you are asleep, your facial muscles, including your eyelids, are relaxed, too, so do not pinch your eyelids close. Rather, you want to just let your eyes lightly droop close.

You also need to keep your breathing relaxed. Really focus on keeping every breath deep, slow, and even. If you are not used to practicing this kind of controlled breathing, it could be a really good idea to practice before the actual moment where you need to fake sleeping.

Finally, you mostly want to stay still because people really do not move a lot when they are sleeping through the night. However, you still need to be reactive because even during sleep, our brains keep some sense of consciousness. To really take your fake sleeping to the next level, fabricate unconscious reactions. For instance, if someone pokes you or makes noise, your body might twitch a little, or you may have a sudden short breath. However, only fake unconscious reactions if you can do so without opening your eyes or smiling.

Ways People May Test if You Are Pretending to Sleep

One way that people often check for sleeping is by listening to your breathing; that is why having control of it is so important. Many people know that when people are asleep, their breathing is even and slow, so they may pause to listen to yours.

If it is anything but exactly what they are expecting (even, slow, breathing), they may start calling you out for faking, which can make continuing the rouse significantly harder.

They may also try flicking your face. This is a method commonly used by emergency responders when trying to figure out if a person is truly passed out or if they are playing possum, so most people view it as a surefire technique. But that does not mean you cannot get past it. If you are fake sleeping, the person expects you to flinch when they flick you in the face.

A good way to get around this is by either pretending to wake up (probably annoyed as you would be if someone really woke you up by clicking you in the face.) If you choose the wake-up method, remember to do so slowly and maybe act a little bit confused at first.

Or, you can try using one of those unconscious responses we talked about earlier. Maybe you will make a small noise and then roll over to your other side, returning to controlled breathing a moment later. No matter which method you use, it is important that you do not flinch,

10 Additional Methods to Fake Sleep

Fake Snoring

This method only really works if you are around people that either do not know whether or not you snore or if you usually do snore, but if either of those conditions is true for you, fake snoring can be a really great method.

Some people find it embarrassing to snore, so most people would assume that you would not fake snoring, making it a great way to fake sleep convincingly. It would be a good idea to practice your snore beforehand, though, so it sounds realistic.

Wearing Glasses

If you struggle to keep your eyes still and your eyelids relaxed, wearing a pair of sunglasses can be a really great method to hide that fact. Additionally, only really bold people will feel comfortable enough to come up to you and take the glasses off of your face.

If that happens, you can pretend to wake up. Just remember to do so slowly, slightly confused, and annoyed to really pull off the full effect.

Deep Breathing

We have talked about the importance of your breathing while you are actually fake sleeping, but practicing some deep breathing techniques before you begin can also be beneficial.

It can help you lower your heart rate and stay still once you start “sleeping.” Once again, using a sleep tracker with a heart rate monitor could be helpful with this method.

Covering Your Head

If you struggle to control your facial expressions, covering your head may be a good idea. This way, you can smile or make whatever expression and still keep up the illusion of being asleep.

You could even keep your eyes open if you want. However, you still need to keep control of any sounds, major movement, and your breathing in order to keep up with the illusion.

Hat Covering Your Face

This method is similar to using a blanket or sheet to cover your whole head, only you are just covering your face with a hat. This method is helpful if you do not have access to any of the items that could be used to cover your whole head.

However, when you are just covering your face, you have to be much more cognizant of your movement as any major facial movements could move the hat and give you away.

Face the Wall

Curling up and facing the wall or the back of the couch could be another way to fake sleeping while really listening in on a conversation. Of course, if the person leans over you, you will have to have your eyes closed and your expression neutral, but it does give you a little bit more coverage than you would have faced the other people.

Fake Sleep Talk

Another thing that people do not often fake is sleep talk, so if you can do it successfully, a little bit of sleep talk could really help you sell the act. Keep in mind that sleeptalk is not usually clear, nor is it always in complete sentences or even complete words. Try just learning a handful of words or sounds that you could make every once in a while.

Lay Facedown

Laying facedown is another great option for fake sleeping if you are not good at controlling your facial expressions. Just keep in mind that with your face shoved into a pillow, it can be hard to control your breathing in the same way that you usually could.

Fall Asleep in Front of Them

If you are able to master the art of falling asleep in front of people, you should be able to keep people from questioning whether or not you are asleep every time. Some tips for doing this successfully would be to pretend you are fighting sleep and slowly changing your breathing pattern.

Drool A Little

There is pretty much no one that likes to admit that they drool when they sleep, so if you are drooling, it is unlikely that someone will believe that you are faking it. Yes, this one is a little gross and perhaps even a little uncomfortable, but it is a great trick to pool out if you really need to fool someone.

Conclusion

The ability to convincingly fake sleep is so much more than simply shutting your eyes and hoping for the best. Whether you are faking sleep to listen in on a hushed conversation, avoid a confrontation or an unwanted conversation, or in hopes of falling asleep for real, the tips that you have discovered in this article should help you fool everyone around you.

No matter which method you end up choosing, you just need to remember to relax your muscles from your face to your feet, keep control of your breathing, so it is deep and even, and avoid making any major movements (especially any facial expressions.)

Further, if you struggle to do any of those things, try the techniques such as covering your face with a blanket or facing the wall. With a little bit of practice, you should be able to fool even the most suspicious people around you.

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