Sleeping is an essential part of Project Zomboid. If you don’t sleep, your character will become tired and eventually exhausted. This will make it difficult for you to survive in the game. Lack of sleep leads to a variety of adverse status effects. This guide will show you how to make your character sleep in Project Zomboid.
How to Sleep in Project Zomboid
To sleep in Project Zomboid, you need to find a surface on which you can sleep. While you can rest on almost any surface, including the ground, some surfaces are much better than others.
If you choose to sleep on a hard, uncomfortable surface, you will likely wake up with a fair bit of pain, which will bring another set of problems.
While you sleep, the screen will go black, and time will accelerate until you wake. Hopefully, you wake peacefully (more on that later).
The Stages of the Tired Moodle in Project Zomboid
If you do not sleep when your character becomes tired, you will begin to suffer negative effects. The varying degrees of tiredness in Project Zomboid impart different negative effects on the player. We will now outline this deterioration.
Drowsy (Occurs when Fatigue is >60%)
When a player becomes “Drowsy,” they are slightly fatigued. Think of this as feeling like you need a good solid nap. The status debuff to melee damage is relatively large though, at 50%.
The player’s vision cone also begins to narrow slightly, and their endurance regeneration is reduced significantly.
Tired (Occurs when Fatigue is >70%)
When your character is “Tired,” they are well and truly exhausted. The player’s ability to do melee damage will decrease to a measly 20% of normal.
Beyond that, your vision cone will narrow further, and your endurance will only recover slowly.
If you haven’t found a bad by the time your character is “Tired,” you are in for a world of hurt by the time they become “Very Tired.”
Very Tired (Occurs when Fatigue is >80%)
A “Very Tired” character cares only about getting to bed. Your melee damage will be down to just 10% of normal when you are this sleep-deprived in Project Zomboid.
Your vision cone will become even narrower to emphasize your lack of awareness when this sleepy, and your endurance will almost not regenerate on its own.
Ridiculously Tired (Occurs when Fatigue is >90%)
If you ignore your character’s fatigue until they are “Ridiculously Tired,” they’re going to be soo sleepy that they’re practically one of the walking dead themselves. Except, the walking dead can actually deal damage. You will only do 5% of your typical melee damage with this lack of sleep.
Beyond that, you will have absolutely no endurance regeneration, and your vision and awareness will become severely restricted. You can’t really play Project Zomboid when your character is this sleep-deprived. You need to find them a nice bed or even an old bit of carpet to lay down on, or you will surely meet your end soon.
Common Questions and Answers about Sleeping in Project Zomboid
Can you sleep anywhere in Project Zomboid?
You can sleep just about anywhere in Project Zomboid. However, unless you are exhausted, your character prefers to sleep in beds, on sofas/chairs, or in a tent or vehicle. If you are extremely tired, your character will even fall asleep on the bare floor.
Can you sleep in cars in Project Zomboid?
Yes, you can sleep in cars and vehicles in Project Zomboid. Although, sleeping in a random vehicle is likely not as safe as sleeping in your home base. Therefore, be careful where you take a snooze.
How do you wake up in Project Zomboid?
Unless you set an alarm, you cannot choose precisely when you awake in Project Zomboid. This is realistic. Your character will usually try to get as much sleep as they need, barring any interruptions from loud noises or excessive cold/heat.
When you don’t have a safe space to sleep, as is typical in the early game, this can be a little nerve-wracking. When the players character is asleep in Project Zomboid, the player’s vision is completely obscured. This means you may awaken to a direct attack, so pick your sleeping spots wisely.
How do you get the best sleep in Project Zomboid?
First and foremost, you want to find a safe space to sleep. It’s best to be indoors behind boarded-up windows in Project Zomboid. If you are outdoors, pitch a tent in a location as free from zombies as possible.
Next, your sleeping surface is important. If you sleep in a high-quality bed, you will recover from your fatigue faster.
You can also take sleeping tablets and vitamins to make you sleep even more restful.
Ideally, you will find a safe, comfortable bed in a secure bedroom. You can draw and shut all the curtains and turn off all the lights to keep zombies away. Lastly, make sure you lock the bedroom door.
What are the consequences of not sleeping in Project Zomboid?
Sleeping is vital in Project Zomboid. If you do not sleep when your character gains tired moodles, it will suffer from multiple status debuffs that make it difficult to survive and thrive. In other words, you need to get to bed!
The full details of what it means to be tired in-game can be found above. Yet, the most important effects you need to be aware of are that your character’s vision will reduce, and you will deal less damage with weapons. You cannot die directly from lack of sleep in Project Zomboid, though you will be a much easier target for zombies.
How can you make your character sleep if they are in pain?
Pain is just as distracting for your characters in Project Zomboid as it is in real life. It’s hard for them to fall asleep if they are in pain, yet they need their beauty rest.
The best way to help your survivors sleep is to give them pain medicines before sleeping in Project Zomboid. This will dull the pain effects and allow them to fall asleep.
You can also use sleeping pills to make your character so tired that they fall asleep despite their pain.
You can find pain killers and sleeping pills in medicine cabinets, desks, hospitals, and clinics throughout the Project Zomboids world.
Wrapping Up Our Guide on How to Sleep in Project Zomboid
Sleeping is a critical part of Project Zomboid. It would help if you got your character to bed quickly after they begin to show fatigue, or you will start to suffer some severe drawbacks. However, this can be easier said than done when zombies constantly try to break into your home.
We hope our guide has given you some helpful tips on ensuring your character gets the sleep they need to stay alive in the apocalypse. Thanks for reading, and good luck!
Do you have any other tips on how to sleep in Project Zomboid? Let us know in the comments below! For more advice on staying alive, check out our guide on how to sneak and crouch in Project Zomboid!