This isn’t some self-help post and I’m not going to encourage you to take up yoga. Starting with thoughts about why it seems peaceful at night, I found that experts agree on just a few factors that cause many people to feel the same.
Those factors are:
- It’s typically quieter at night. The absence of routine daytime noises helps create a serene atmosphere.
- Nighttime can provide a sense of solitude and privacy. It’s less stimulating outside in low light and allows people to focus inwardly and relax.
- Starry skies provide a sense of wonder. Especially on clear nights, you can appreciate the beauty of the night sky, stars, and the moon.
- Human bodies are attuned to natural rhythms. (This is the one I struggle with, you guys.) Nighttime is when many species — including humans (except for me) — rest. The alignment with natural cycles induce feelings of peace and relaxation.
But nighttime can also be scary! 💀👻
When I lived alone at the little house just down the road from here, I was scared outside at night. No garage at the time, the distance between my car and the front door felt like miles! I couldn’t get inside fast enough — especially in winter (not sure why on that one).
Even now, if I’m alone outside in the dark and a coyote cries, it gives me a spook.
What say you? Is nighttime peaceful or scary? Maybe both?
Now you know: Chinstrap penguins take more than 10,000 micro-naps a day so they can stay vigilant and guard their eggs.