Is It Permissible to Sleep during the Day and Be Up at Night to Avoid Family?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

Is it permissible for one to sleep during the day and wake up at night sometimes to avoid family arguments? All prayers will be done on time!

Answer

Thank you for your question. May Allah aid you in finding a way to compromise with your family and have a mutual understanding without having to stay up at night.

Night and Day

Most people are awake during the day and sleep at night because it comes from the Fitra (innate nature) of man. Allah Most High told us, “Have We not smoothed out the earth (like a bed), and (made) the mountains as (its) pegs, and created you in pairs, and made your sleep for rest, and made the night as a cover, and made the day for livelihood.” [Quran, 78:6-11]

Keep Busy

What you mention is permissible, but I encourage you to discuss your issues with your family head-on. If they are the type that doesn’t listen or is unwilling to change, then I encourage you instead to keep yourself busy by being out of the house during the day. If you are studying, then find some part-time work after school, or if you are working, then socialize after work or find a hobby that benefits you. Take some time out of your day to enroll in classes with us to gain Sacred Knowledge.

Staying Up

Generally speaking, staying up at night is quite detrimental to your health. You can look up how blue light is considered a drug by many and should not be used at night because it disrupts sleep-wake cycles. Also, it can lead to hypersomnia which is difficult to overcome.  Sleeping during the day will deprive you of the benefits of sunlight. Sun exposure is the most important natural source of vitamin D. See one example of the adverse health effects if staying up at night here:

A study published May 21, 2018, in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” (PNAS) showed that staying awake at night and sleeping during the day for even just one 24-hour period can rapidly lead to changes in more than 100 proteins in the blood, including ones that have an effect on blood sugar, immune function, and metabolism. Over time, these biochemical changes in blood protein levels can elevate your risk for health issues such as diabetes, weight gain, and even cancer, says the study’s lead author, Christopher Depner, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of integrative physiology at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

You can access the full article here:
Study Reveals Why All-Nighters May Be So Dangerous for Your Health

Beneficial Rest

Additionally, I learned from my teacher that the scholars have said that the best restful sleep is before dawn, and that is when one should get most of one’s sleep, as opposed to sleeping a bit before dawn, and sleeping many hours after Fajr prayer. Coincidentally, a friend mentioned to me that she only has bad dreams during post-Fajr sleep and never before Fajr (dawn prayer).

Turn to Allah

In conclusion, turn to Allah with your issues by worshipping Him well and supplicating for your needs. Ask Him for guidance, and try to find the Islamic solution to these family fights. Daily repentance and writing in a gratitude journal will help in sha Allah.

Allah Most High says, “And whoever is mindful of Allah, He will grant them a way out, and will provide for them in ways unimagined. And whoever places their trust in Allah, then Allah is their sufficiency. Allah’s affair will surely come to pass–and Allah has made a clear decree for everything.” [Quran, 65:2-3]

Also, keep this hadith in mind: The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “The believer who mixes with people and bears their annoyance with patience will have a greater reward than the believer who does not mix with people and does not put up with their annoyance.” [Ibn Maja]

Please see these links as well:
Can You Give Me Tips to Wake Up Early?
Is It Best to Eat and Sleep Well and Worship More or to Eat and Sleep Less and Worship Less?

May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.