Street vendors contend for limited space, their shouts ripple through the humid air and the clattering of bus doors. As São Paulo regains the buzz of
On a regular Tuesday, restaurants stay open late, and bars are packed with life well past 2 a.m. This culture shock was for Luke Macartney, a 22-year-old language student in São Paulo. “The change is pretty mental,” he says. “You get there at two, which I wasn’t a fan of, but that’s how it is. People flock to you from everywhere.”
In São Paulo, culture, like the rest of Latin America, calls for social occasions to fill your evenings, and the night’s pull is stronger than the urge for rest.
The climate adds another layer to the battle. São Paulo’s summers cling to the skin between December and March. Air conditioning is unreliable, even an afterthought at times. Luke remembers it vividly: “The heat was serious. Even with just a sheet, you can’t get comfy. I had AC, but it was overpowering — it was either sauna or freezer.” The heat is a point of discomfort, and adapting to this becomes a part of balancing life.
To cope, São Paulo has developed a nap culture that helps people escape the heat. Mid-afternoon rests are common, which can be confusing for newcomers. Luke shares, “On my first day, I finished work early, took a nap, and woke up thinking it was 6 a.m., not 6 p.m.” Sleep norms are often relaxed here.
The winter months of June and August grow milder, with a much lesser schedule impact. However, the colder weather never diminishes the constant buzz of the nightlife.
Safety concerns also shape the city’s relationship with sleep. Most Paulistanos live behind layers of security: gated apartments, concierge desks, heavy locks.
Luke lived with two Brazilian flatmates in a small block, three rooms clustered around a central communal area. By night, it operates a base of operations safe from the perils of the street.
“Two girls came running into the block in their pyjamas, screaming they’d been robbed and just crying in the common area. You hear it a lot at night,” he says. A certain level of wariness seeps into your nightly habits: double-checking locks, peeking through door viewers, choosing Uber over a late walk home. “I got a proper bollocking for walking home once,” Luke admits. “My flatmates started on me for it.”
On Fridays, rooftop parties sprang across Luke’s neighbourhood, often becoming the most significant opposition to sleep. “They used to bang brooms and pool cues on the floor to fight back against people trying to sleep — like keeping the party going,” he says—the joyous insistence on living clouds a desire for sleep.
Public spaces, too, offer small windows into the city’s sleep culture. On the packed metros, commuters nap upright, hugging backpacks to their chests — an unthinkable sight in places like Liverpool, Luke notes.
Long-distance travel between cities is everyday amongst São Paulo and its neighbouring towns, but where sleep is concerned, a practical solution arises. “I took one to Rio,” Luke recalls. “Left at midnight, woke up there at 8 a.m. Super comfy. However, they didn’t even wake us up once our bus broke down when the replacement came. Not sure if that’s normal.”
Sleep hygiene, mindfulness apps, and wellness culture are gaining traction, especially among younger residents throughout Europe and North America. For most Paulistanos, sleep lacks that air of formality or intricacy—the hum of a city that never really stops. Finding rest in São Paulo is a quiet, ongoing rebellion.
