Sleep and fatigue in Project Zomboid

Sleep mainly lowers Fatigue. Pain, stress and injuries run on their own systems. You do not pass out from staying awake, but the worst Tired state, Ridiculously Tired, causes heavy weakness. While you sleep you are helpless, so only do it in a closed, cleared room or a secure vehicle.

In single player the game works out how long you sleep in four steps:

1. The base length comes from your current Fatigue. More tired means a longer sleep.
2. The bed quality adjusts it.
3. Your sleep traits multiply it.
4. The result is held between 3 and 16 hours.

Older Build 41 hour tables are out of date, so ignore them. Neither guide we used gives the exact Fatigue thresholds or the base-length formula. See moodles for the Tired levels.

Right-click a bed, or a sofa or chair that allows it, and choose Sleep when you are eligible.

A pillow raises the quality when it is in your hands, on the bed square, in a tent container or on a car seat. Neither guide gives a number for how much.

The two guides disagree on the floor. One lists a x0.7 multiplier. The other only calls it a harsh multiplier and gives no number, so we are not sure whether it shortens or lengthens sleep. Test it in game before you depend on it.

A short nap in a car without a pillow can leave you still tired, so a car is a last resort.

Wakeful and Sleepyhead cannot be taken together. Full lists are on traits and occupations.

Sleeping pills help you fall asleep and, at a high enough dose, get past the pain and panic checks. No dose numbers are given. Painkillers are the fix when pain is the only blocker. Alcohol does not clear the checks and brings its own moodles, so do not use it instead of pills. Coffee only buys a short extra window, with no values given.

On a server, players pick how long to sleep from a list based on their Fatigue, roughly 1 to 12 hours. Time only speeds up when every player is asleep. Two server options matter: SleepAllowed lets players use beds at all, and SleepNeeded makes them gain Fatigue. SleepNeeded does nothing if SleepAllowed is off, and the server must restart after you change either. Setup is on hosting a server and multiplayer.

Opinion Sleep as soon as the Tired moodle appears. Waiting until Ridiculously Tired means a very long sleep and heavy weakness if you are caught awake. Pick a room with one door, close it, and check the windows. Carry a pillow so even a poor bed is acceptable. Our first week and base building guides cover where to stay.