Hosting a spooky sleepover with friends

Sleepovers with friends are always fun and exciting. But do you know what would make them more fun and somewhat thrilling? Adding a spooky theme to the whole thing.

The question now is, how do you host a spooky sleepover with your friends? Let's find out. 

Set the lighting

Anything with a spooky theme needs low lighting. Otherwise, it becomes difficult to set the eerie and somewhat uncomfortable vibe you'd want from that particular atmosphere. 

Start by ensuring that the room is dark with very dim lighting. Keeping the lights off and the room completely dark might initially seem like a good idea. However, who's to say you and your friends won't bump into things when trying to move about? Hence, opt for dim lighting rather than a complete blackout of your room. 

For the lighting, avoid LED strips. They're a bit too bright and will not help with the eerie ambience you want. Instead, buy a few 5W dim lights and set them up around the house. Use a single light for each room. That way, you can maintain the eerie atmosphere throughout the house without making the rooms appear too bright. 

Play uncanny sounds

Once you've decided on the lighting, consider hiding small Bluetooth speakers throughout the house or your room. Then, pair the speakers with your phone and play eerie sounds on loop. 

Keep the volume at an audible level, but not too loud. That way, the sounds will complement the dim lighting, and you can craft the perfect atmosphere for your sleepover. 

We recommend you download these sounds instead of playing them directly from YouTube or Spotify. If you're running the free versions of these apps, chances are high that ads will start playing between the sounds. One such mishap is more than enough to ruin the entire mood and turn the whole experience a bit comical.

Stock up on snacks

Given that most of you are unlikely to fall asleep before dawn, make sure to buy enough snacks that will last you the whole night. 

Stock up on chips, candies, and soft drinks. You can bring in other food items like pizzas, cakes, biscuits, etc. See what all your friends prefer to have as snacks before buying them. 

If you want to stick to the spooky theme while having dinner, you can always set your dining table in that manner. Perhaps you can decorate the dining table with candles and keep the room as dimly-lit as possible. However, if staying true to the theme might seem a bit difficult while having dinner, by all means, skip it. Let your friends enjoy their food as they like. 

Find a good horror movie

Horror movies are a staple for most sleepovers. So, it's only natural that you and your friends enjoy a good horror movie at your horror-themed sleepover. 

Deciding to watch a horror movie is the easy part. Finding a good horror movie to watch is what's difficult here. Therefore, plan what movie you and your friends want to watch at least a day before. 

When looking for a horror movie, always ensure that it's age-appropriate for you. Baylor College of Medicine reports that exposure to age-appropriate scary movies is a healthy way for some kids to learn to navigate their fear of the genre. 

On the other hand, anything that's not age-appropriate might end up traumatising you and your friends. Therefore, avoid anything that's not a good fit for your age. Remember, you're watching the movie for the thrill, not to be emotionally and physiologically scarred. 

Share scary stories

We've all, at some point, experienced or thought we've experienced something supernatural. If not, we've all at least heard such stories from others. 

Share these stories with your friends at the sleepover, ideally after you're done with the movie. By now, the overall spooky atmosphere will have settled in, and everyone should be in the mood to keep the vibes going. 

Take turns among yourselves to tell these stories. Make sure everyone who has something to share gets the opportunity to do so. You can also let each of your friends take turns choosing their preferred soundtrack for their storytelling session. 

By the time you're done sharing these scary stories, it should be dawn or close to it. As the sun starts rising, you and your friends will start feeling a bit tired (and maybe a lot less scared). In such circumstances, getting some sleep will be the best decision. 

Some of you will have already fallen asleep. The rest can try getting some shut-eye as well, or try to gossip or play board games till they too eventually tire out.

And with that, you can conclude a fun-filled spooky sleepover.