Without electricity, good sleep comes from using the natural cues you still have: dim, warm light in the last hours of the evening, a dark and quiet shelter, a cool but warm-enough sleeping place, and the same short ritual every night. Never sleep in a closed space with a smouldering fire or glowing coals, because carbon monoxide can kill you in your sleep.
Without power the body clock still follows light, so sleep depends on dim evenings, a dark cool shelter and a fixed ritual.
The Body Clock Responds To Light
Bright light late in the evening, especially bluish light, delays sleepiness, and morning daylight sets the clock. With no screens or electric lights the evening is already easier: your main task is to keep it dim and keep the morning bright. See Sunlight & Circadian Rhythm.
What You Need
- A dark shelter — fabric, branches or a tarp over any gaps that let light in.
- Insulation from the ground — ground cold is a common cause of broken sleep. See Ground Insulation.
- Ear protection (optional) — cloth wads.
- A clock source — a watch, or sunrise and sunset.
Method: Evening To Morning
Step 1: Dim down in the last hours before bed Move from work to quieter tasks. Use low firelight at a safe distance, not bright light close to the face.
Step 2: Stop heavy exertion and big meals shortly before bed A very full stomach or a hard session of work can keep you awake.
Step 3: Avoid alcohol and stimulants late Alcohol may make you drowsy but breaks up sleep. Caffeine, if you have any, should be early in the day only.
Step 4: Prepare the sleeping place Dark, sheltered from wind, off the ground, with a warm layer. Cool air with enough covers sleeps better than a stuffy warm place.
Step 5: Run the ritual Wash, check the shelter, one line in the journal, lie down. Same order each night.
Step 6: Wake at the fixed time and go outside Get daylight within the first hour.
Carbon monoxide in closed shelters
A smouldering fire, glowing charcoal or a stove burning in a sealed or poorly ventilated space produces carbon monoxide, which you cannot see or smell and which can kill you while you sleep. Put the fire out completely before sleeping, or sleep with a fire only in a structure designed for it with a proper vent, and never bring coals inside a closed shelter to warm it. Headache, dizziness or nausea on waking, or a drowsy feeling in the shelter, means get out into fresh air at once.
Common Mistakes
- Using a fire to light the shelter all night — it is both a carbon monoxide and a fire hazard.
- Sleeping on cold ground — insulation matters as much as covers.
- Lying awake watching the dark — get up and sit quietly in dim light, then return.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Nap Strategy — the daytime side of sleep
- Combine with: Emergency Shelter — building a place that can be dark and warm