Insomniac Zodiac Signs That Do Their Best Thinking At Night


I like to tell people that I'm the least Capricorny Capricorn you could ever meet. Capricorns are serious, traditional, and stubborn; I'm a goofy, progressive pushover. Capricorns get up at the crack of dawn and go on five mile runs; I'm probably going to bed shortly before dawn because I don't really get going until about 9 p.m. I've clearly been mislabeled. Perhaps I can find my true celestial identity by exploring the insomniac zodiac signs that do their best thinking at night. At least that way I can narrow it down a bit, right?

Our zodiac signs are said to be able to predict our personalities, likes, dislikes, and in the hands of an experienced, knowledgeable astrologer, our futures. I don't know how much I believe that, but I do think it's pretty fun to look into. And if you're trying to figure out why you act a certain way or seem to think more clearly at a specific time of day, perhaps your zodiac can provide some insight.

While I feel the need to point out that the National Sleep Foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes public understanding of sleep and sleep disorders, recommends all adults age 18 to 64 get between seven to eight hours of sleep a night, here are some signs that might not get their eight hours at night:

Aquarius (January 20 — February 18)


In order to understand why an Aquarius is prone to being a bit of a night owl, you have to know that this is a sign that marches to the beat of a different drum... and also probably finds a different way to march, too. (Why march when you can dance?!) These folks value novelty and innovation — they will always be the ones to think outside of the box. So to begin with, the very idea that we have to sleep at night to be productive during the day is silly to an Aquarius.

Moreover, once they get involved in something, they're not going to let "sleep" or "having to get up for work tomorrow" get in the way of them seeing it through. An Aquarius' passion and brilliant ideas can't be flipped on and off like a light switch and, as such, their actual light switch will not be turned off until they're good and ready.

Additionally, while an Aquarius values a lively party, from time to time they value "me time" even more. If that has to happen at night, so be it.

Gemini (May 21 — June 20)

Going to sleep means you might miss out on something, and that is just not a risk Geminis are willing to take. This bunch is fueled by FOMO, with a boost of caffeine as required.

Social and clever, Gemini like to keep themselves busy and live in the moment. Their days are generally booked, so they just might not have the time to really reflect and think until night falls. But don't let the chatty, bubbly personality fool you: Gemini are deep thinkers and problem solvers, too.

Alone with their thoughts, this sign can be extremely productive, but also extremely anxious, considering Gemini (perhaps always seeking out their other "twin") don't generally like to be alone. For AskMyOracle, Marisa Ritzman writes, "[Gemini] find it difficult to calm their minds ... They have this interesting desire to know everything."

Virgo (August 23 — September 22)

Like Gemini, Virgo is ruled by the planet Mercury, and so is known for effective communication and problem-solving. Unlike Gemini, Virgo tends to be more traditional and reserved (that's an Earth sign for you) and introverted. Alone, when everyone else is asleep, might be the best time for a Virgo to get some really thinking done, since they tend to spend their days helping everyone else do what they need to do. (They wouldn't have it any other way, don't let their occasional martyr act fool you for a minute: a Virgo is happiest in a behind-the-scenes position of control.)

It should also be said that this sign is a perfectionist. Not a run of the mill Type A, mind you, but a "I bought this notebook, which says it has one inch margins, but I'd just feel better if I took a ruler and measured each page for myself because better safe than sorry, you know?" (OK, not quite that bad, but you get the idea.) So it might just be that they're getting some great thinking done at night because they want to ensure that everything is done just so.

Scorpio (October 23 — November 21)


Scorpios get their best thinking done at night because night time is the best time for evil plots, and Scorpios are marvelous plotters.

"Face it, Scorpio, you’re intimidating," writes YourTango astrology writer Trudi Mentior. "Unfortunately, a lot of people assume that it must be because you’re evil." But the truth is this sign is passionately loving, deeply sensitive, and natural, charismatic leaders. And they do love to sleep (#watersignlife), but they're also very secretive and mysterious. Night time is the best time for a highly imaginative Scorpio to think, because there's less risk that anyone is going to horn in on their plans (which must remain a secret until a Scorpio is good and ready to unleash them on the world because they said so).

Sagittarius (November 22 — December 21)

A Sagittarius values nothing more than freedom, and that means the freedom for this free-thinking sign to stay up as late as they damn well please. This will not be time spent idling, leveling up on Candy Crush or whatever. No, Saggitariuses are born philosophers — they need time and space to ponder life's big questions and to explore the different ways various people have come to their own truths.

"[Sagittarius] are always on the go," Ritzman writes of this sign. "Sleep is never of much importance to them as they have so much to explore in life." So don't be surprised to find a Sagittarius out and about, wandering alone after midnight, thinking as they walk. Fortunately, this sign has the energy to keep up with their constantly curious mind and can take advantage of the wee hours to really mull things over.