Is it "at night" or "in the night"?

Say a strange noise woke you up at 3 a.m. The next morning, you'd tell your friend, "I heard a noise in the night." But if you're talking about how you usually sleep, you'd say, "I sleep well at night." Both are about nighttime, so why the difference?

At night

We use "at night" when talking about nighttime in general. It's great for describing routines, habits, or things that happen regularly during this time.

• I sleep better at night when the windows are open.
• Craig likes taking walks at night.
• It's easier to see the stars at night.
• I don't like walking home alone at night.

This is where German speakers often slip. Because German says in der Nacht, "I can't sleep in the night" feels right. In English, for anything general or regular, it's "at night."

In the night

"In the night" refers to specific events or moments that happen during one particular night. These are often unexpected or out of the ordinary.

• I heard a strange noise in the night.
• I got up in the night to close the window.
• Did you hear the thunder in the night?
• The baby woke up three times in the night.

In everyday conversation, you'll often hear "during the night" or "in the middle of the night" instead. They mean the same thing.

So the next time you're chatting about your late-night routine or that noise that woke you up, you'll know exactly which phrase to use.

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