I almost always take Night Vision, Insomniac, and Heavy Sleeper.
Night Vision lets me wander around at night doing things without walking face first into a special zombie. The first day in game is usually the scariest (its daylight, and I need food/water because as you said ⦠WTF why do I go through so much so damn fast), then I switch to full on night-only sorties.
Insomniac and Heavy Sleeper combine into a wonderful mix of staying awake long hours (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJL6emZdNvc) yet when I finally get to sleep I sleep long enough it makes the āTiredā go away. Sleeping in the evac shelter basement is pretty safe with the current way basement levels work. Donāt think Iāve ever had an issue down there except an NPC that somehow appeared down there, and woke me up screaming at me to put down my weapon.
Reading at night is good, as other said. Another option (if you canāt find books) is to make a bone needle and rip up clothes for thread, then fix all the zombie clothes you found, and/or make yourself some better clothing as your tailoring skill rises. ⦠night is an ok time to go around disassembling all the furniture you wonāt need too, collecting nails and boards to build & fortify with. Taking things apart spends time pretty well, so it makes nights go by and tires you out pretty decently.