There's something special about the night, as many people have reflected on in this list of thoughtful night quotes. Maybe it's the way the darkness seems to blanket everything in calm. Or the way the stars come out, shining bright against the black sky.
Whatever the reason, people have always been drawn to the night, much like famous poets and painters like Edgar Allan Poe and Vincent Van Gogh. And some of humanity's most celebrated achievements have taken place after sundown. From man's first steps on the moon to the fall of the Berlin Wall, history is full of nighttime moments.
Even today, the night is a time for people to come together and enjoy each other's company. Whether it's a group of friends meeting up for drinks or strangers crossing paths during a late-night walk, there's something magical about the hours after sunset.
There are many reasons why people love the darkness, much as some animals, like owls and nightingales. We prepared a curated list of night quotes to inspire you to reminisce and contemplate the good things you receive each day.
Related: you might also like our lists of some of the best sunrise quotes as the night gives way to day, or reflect on our star quotes for more from the night sky.
Quick links to our selection of night quotes:
Most of us take the night for granted, assuming it is simply the absence of sunlight. In fact, the night is a complex interaction between the Earth and the sun. As the Earth rotates on its axis, one-half of the planet is turned away from the sun. At the same time, the sun is setting in the West and rising in the East. As the sun sets, its light becomes obstructed by the Earth's rotation away from the sun, creating a gradual transition from day to night.
This interplay between rotation and revolution produces the regular cycle of night and day that we rely on to structure our lives. Without this delicate balance, life on Earth would be very different indeed. Thus, here are some of the best night quotes we collected for you to read and share.
"A day without sunshine is like, you know, night."
"What a nice night for an evening."
"There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope."
"Night is the mother of thoughts."
"A man is a very small thing, and the night is very large and full of wonders."
"I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day."
"Life begins at night."
The cycle of the night is the time between sunset and sunrise when the sun is below the horizon. In most places, this cycle lasts for 12 hours. During this time, the sky becomes dark, and the stars and planets become visible.
For many people, the cycle of the night is a time to relax and enjoy the quiet beauty of the night sky. However, the night cycle is a time to work and get things done for others. In either case, the night cycle is integral to our daily lives. Thus, here’s a list of night quotes that you can relate to how we go about our days and into the long night.
"Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better."
"At night, when the sky is full of stars and the sea is still you get the wonderful sensation that you are floating in space."
"A good idea will keep you awake during the morning, but a great idea will keep you awake during the night."
"And if you don't believe the sun will rise, stand alone and greet the coming night in the last remaining light."
"The most efficient way to live reasonably is every morning to make a plan of one's day and every night to examine the results obtained."
"To me, every hour of the day and night is an unspeakably perfect miracle."
"Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful, that's what matters to me."
"To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man."
"I'm a bit of a night owl because that's when I feel the most creative and alive."
"A liberal is a man or a woman or a child who looks forward to a better day, a more tranquil night, and a bright, infinite future."
"Nations, like stars, are entitled to eclipse. All is well, provided the light returns and the eclipse does not become endless night. Dawn and resurrection are synonymous. The reappearance of the light is the same as the survival of the soul."
"One may not reach the dawn save by the path of the night."
The sun's rising and setting impact our natural sleep cycles, so we would quickly become exhausted without a regular period of darkness1. Moreover, plants need a dark period to grow, so agriculture would be severely impacted without nights. In short, the elimination of night-time would have profound and far-reaching consequences for both the natural world and human civilization.
This just highlights how crucial the night is to how we are, and may we learn to value it as it promotes harmony in our lives. To help you appreciate nature, check out these night quotes.
Related: you might also like this list of nature quotes for more from the environment around us.
"Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own; and from morning to night, as from the cradle to the grave, it is but a succession of changes so gentle and easy that we can scarcely mark their progress."
"If there were no night, we would not appreciate the day, nor could we see the stars and the vastness of the heavens. We must partake of the bitter with the sweet. There is a divine purpose in the adversities we encounter every day. They prepare, they purge, they purify, and thus they bless."
"How lovely are the portals of the night, when stars come out to watch the daylight die."
"Who among us has never looked up into the heavens on a starlit night, lost in wonder at the vastness of space and the beauty of the stars?"
"If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I'll bet they'd live a lot differently."
"You cannot look up at the night sky on the Planet Earth and not wonder what it's like to be up there amongst the stars. And I always look up at the moon and see it as the single most romantic place within the cosmos."
The night is often used in literature as a symbol of mystery and danger, as in Edgar Allan Poe's classic poem "The Raven." In the visual arts, the night can be a time of both romance and terror, as seen in paintings like Vincent van Gogh's "Starry Night" and Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks."
And in music, the night has inspired everything from jazz standards like "Night and Day" to classic rock songs like "Rock and Roll All Nite."
Whether a setting for suspense or romance, the night is a versatile canvas for artists of all types. Check out these night quotes from other artists, poets, and writers.
"Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way."
"You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write."
"Everything becomes magnified at night. Sounds travel in a different way, it's dark, and everything seems far more spooky."
"I believe that writers, unless they consider themselves terribly exquisite, are at heart people who live by night, a little bit outside society, moving between delinquency and conformity."
"Poetry is not an expression of the party line. It's that time of night, lying in bed, thinking what you really think, making the private world public, that's what the poet does."
"For me, painting is a way to forget life. It is a cry in the night, a strangled laugh."
"The sky grew darker, painted blue on blue, one stroke at a time, into deeper and deeper shades of night."
Most of us dream. Dreams are often vivid, strange, and seemingly nonsensical. Yet they can also be deeply meaningful, providing insights into our innermost thoughts and feelings3. Some dreams are simply a product of our daily lives, while others are more symbolic or prophetic.
We also know that everyone dreams, though not everyone remembers their dreams. With further research, we may someday unlock the mysteries of the dream world. Until then, we can all continue to explore our own dreams and perhaps learn a little more about ourselves in the process. Ponder your dreamy moments as you read this section of night quotes.
"I'm chasing my dreams straight to the top into a sky that has no limits."
"Night kneels at your feet like a gypsy glistening with jewels."
"Like all sweet dreams, it will be brief, but brevity makes sweetness, doesn't it?"
"I love the silent hour of night, For blissful dreams may then arise, Revealing to my charmed sight What may not bless my waking eyes."
Most people know that getting a good night's sleep is important, but few realize just how beneficial it can be. Sleep helps to rejuvenate the body and mind, and it is essential for physical and mental health (as some of our mental health quotes talk about). Getting enough sleep can help improve mood, increase energy levels, and boost immunity.
It can also reduce stress levels and help improve cognitive function. In addition, sleep is vital for repairing the body after exercise and reducing the risk of injury. Finally, getting enough sleep can help to improve overall physical health and longevity. So next time you're feeling tired, remember that a good night's sleep, and perhaps this next selection of night quotes, could be just what you need to feel your best.
"No place is boring, if you've had a good night's sleep and have a pocket full of unexposed film."
"I close my eyes, then I drift away, into the magic night I softly say. A silent prayer, like dreamers do, then I fall asleep to dream my dreams of you."
"Sleep is essential for the body and mind and restful sleep is one of the foundations of good health. Recharging and rejuvenating body and mind sufficiently every night is important for better quality of life."
"The repose of sleep refreshes only the body. It rarely sets the soul at rest. The repose of the night does not belong to us. It is not the possession of our being. Sleep opens within us an inn for phantoms. In the morning we must sweep out the shadows."
"It seemed to be a necessary ritual that he should prepare himself for sleep by meditating under the solemnity of the night sky... a mysterious transaction between the infinity of the soul and the infinity of the universe."
When you rest, your body works hard to heal and repair itself. In order to do this effectively, it needs quiet. Noise pollution can interfere with your body's natural repair processes, causing stress and making it difficult to reach a state of deep relaxation.
Furthermore, researchers have linked noise pollution to several health problems2, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and sleep disorders. Creating an environment of peace and quiet gives your body the best chance to recover from the rigors of daily life. In silence, you can truly rest and rejuvenate. Create the space with some silence with these quotes about the night.
"I love the silent hour of night, For blissful dreams may then arise, Revealing to my charmed sight What may not bless my waking eyes."
"Night is the wonderful opportunity to take rest, to forgive, to smile, to get ready for all the battles that you have to fight tomorrow."
"Your computer needn't be the first thing your see in the morning and the last thing you see at night."
"I just want to say, good night, sweet prince, may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."
Shakespeare's famous quotation from Romeo and Juliet expresses the bittersweet nature of saying goodbye to a loved one. Though parting ways is sad, there is also a sense of joy in knowing that you will see each other again. We often feel this sentiment when saying goodnight to a friend or family member at the end of the day. There is a sense of finality in the act of going to bed, but there is also the knowledge that tomorrow will bring new opportunities to spend time together. In this way, Shakespeare's words capture the complex emotions often felt when saying goodbye.
We’ve gathered a short list of good night quotes to finalizing this list of inspiring night quotes. Enjoy reading!
"A good night in is a series of documentaries."
"As the night gets dark, let your worries fade. Sleep peacefully knowing you've done all you can do for today."
"Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow."
"I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night."
"Each morning sees some task begun, each evening sees it close; Something attempted, something done, has earned a night's repose."
| 1 | Ashbrook, L.H., Krystal, A.D., Fu, YH. et al. Genetics of the human circadian clock and sleep homeostat. Neuropsychopharmacol. 45, 45–54 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-019-0476-7 |
| 2 | Stephen A Stansfeld, Mark P Matheson, Noise pollution: non-auditory effects on health, British Medical Bulletin, Volume 68, Issue 1, December 2003, Pages 243–257, https://doi.org/10.1093/bmb/ldg033 |
| 3 | Schredl, M. (2010). Characteristics and contents of dreams. International review of neurobiology, 92, 135-154. |
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