Does staying up with your eyes closed but not asleep count as an all-nighter?

In general, whether closing the eyes without falling asleep counts as staying up late depends on the specific sleep status and duration. If one is merely resting the eyes briefly while remaining mentally and physically awake for a short period, it may not strictly qualify as staying up late. However, if one remains awake for a prolonged period despite having the eyes closed, the body remains in a state of sleep deprivation, which essentially falls within the scope of staying up late.

The core issue of staying up late lies in insufficient sleep or poor sleep quality. When the eyes are closed but consciousness remains awake, it indicates that the brain has not entered a deep rest phase and has failed to complete necessary sleep cycles. In such situations, even after lying down for a long time, the body still feels tired due to lack of effective sleep. The effects are similar to those of active late-night habits, potentially leading to problems such as fatigue and reduced attention the next day.

Psychological factors are also crucial. If one cannot fall asleep due to anxiety, stress, or similar reasons, keeping the eyes closed might actually intensify mental tension, creating a vicious cycle. This form of "passive staying up late" may have more negative health impacts than actively staying up, as emotional stress can further disrupt endocrine and immune system functions, causing even greater harm over time.

Therefore, whether simply closing the eyes without falling asleep counts as staying up late mainly depends on whether sufficient effective sleep time has been achieved. If wakefulness persists beyond the normal sleep onset time, even resting with closed eyes may be considered a special form of staying up late. Improving the sleep environment and relaxing the mind are more important than forcing oneself to keep the eyes closed.