Sanity

"I get crazy when I don't sleep."

- Wilson

Sanity is the character's "mental health" in Don't Starve. The Sanity icon, represented as a picture of a brain, is located near the character's  Health and  Hunger. Characters can gain and lose sanity in various ways. A small animated arrow appears over the icon, indicating an increase or decrease in Sanity. The size of the arrow signifies the rate of gain or loss.

As sanity decreases, the player's vision becomes shaky, over-saturated, and bright, whispers are heard, and Shadow Creatures start to appear. These creatures become "physical" and aggressive and will attack the player when their sanity is below 15%; the sign that sanity is low enough for Shadow Creatures to attack is when the player's character covers their ears and closes their eyes while rocking back and forth, as if experiencing a bad headache.

Being alone in the wilderness will take its toll. Generally speaking, being in close proximity to Monsters, Darkness, Rain, eating bad Food, or using various magic items decreases sanity; while wearing certain clothing, eating Jerky and Crock Pot food, being near friendly Pigs, and sleeping increases sanity. See the Sanity Tables below for a complete list.

Character Specifics
Sanity maximums:
 * WX-78 - 100-300 Max Sanity (depending on upgrades)
 * Wickerbottom - 250 Max Sanity
 * Wilson, Wendy, Wolfgang, Woodie, Maxwell - 200 Max Sanity
 * Walani, Warly Shipwrecked icon.png - 200 Max Sanity
 * Wes - 150 Max Sanity
 * Wilbur Shipwrecked icon.png - 150 Max Sanity
 * Willow - 120 Max Sanity
 * Wigfrid Reign of Giants icon.png - 120 Max Sanity
 * Woodlegs Shipwrecked icon.png - 120 Max Sanity
 * Webber Reign of Giants icon.png - 100 Max Sanity

Characters with the potential to stay sane longer:
 * Maxwell - Sanity is restored at a rate of 20 points per minute.
 * Wendy - Less Sanity is lost while in darkness or near monsters.
 * Willow - Negates Sanity loss at night while near a fire.
 * Wolfgang - Even though monsters drain 10% more Sanity, fights can end quicker when "Mighty", meaning less time spent near Sanity-draining auras.
 * Wigfrid Reign of Giants icon.png- Gains sanity after killing Mobs, and battles are shorter due to her damage multiplier.
 * Walani Shipwrecked icon.png - Due to her drying off quicker, the combined sanity loss from wetness would be reduced over time.
 * Warly Shipwrecked icon.png - Gains more sanity from Crock Pot meals.

Insanity Effects


≤ 80%
 * Mr. Skits will appear.

≤ 65%
 * Shadow Watchers and Night Hands appear at night.

≤ 60%
 * Eyes appear in the darkness.
 * The screen starts getting distorted.
 * Lighting is desaturated in overworld and caves. Lighting brightens in the Ruins.

≤ 50%
 * Crawling Horrors and Terrorbeaks are visible.
 * Insanity ambience becomes audible.

≤ 45%
 * Whispering can be heard.

≤ 40%
 * Rabbits transform into Beardlings.
 * Bunnymen transform into Beardlords.

≤ 15%
 * The screen is surrounded by red tendrils.
 * Crawling Horrors and Terrorbeaks will attack.
 * Player holds head with hands and rocks back and forth.
 * The "day to night" transition jingle becomes warped.

≤ 10%
 * Lighting becomes dim.

Trivia

 * Sanity was added in the Insanity! update.
 * Distortion can be turned off in the Options menu, removing the blurry effect on the edges of the screen that occurs from Sanity loss. This can also boost performance on slow systems.