What to text when he only messages drunk late at night

Drunk texting has a low barrier to entry. He doesn't have to think about whether he should reach out. He doesn't have to wonder if the timing is right or if he's bothering you. Alcohol removes the filters that make sober texting an actual choice. When a guy only texts you drunk, he's not planning or strategizing. He's acting on an impulse.

This is different from actually being interested. A man who's interested in you will find reasons to text you sober. He'll remember something you said and send it to you at 3pm. He'll see something and think of you. The drunk texts tell you he likes the idea of you, especially when he's loose and feeling social. But they don't tell you he's building something with you.

Your response needs to stay warm enough that he doesn't feel rejected. Cold silence will work against you because it just means he tries again next weekend. But your response also needs to make it clear that you're available for him at other times, not primarily at midnight.

The move is simple. Acknowledge him in a way that's friendly but brief, and that naturally redirects toward daytime. Don't ignore him, and don't engage in the drunk conversation. You're politely making a statement about your own availability without saying a word about his drinking. You're showing him what a sober interaction looks like by example.

One late-night message doesn't define everything. Some people text more freely when they've had drinks. Give it two or three drunk reaches without a daytime follow-up before you conclude this is all he's got.

If he doesn't text you sober within a week or so, the pattern is clear. At that point you have a choice. Engage with late-night texting as something temporary until better options show up, or stop replying altogether. Don't try to fix him or change the dynamic through your replies. Either accept the terms he's offering or move on. What you don't do is reply every time and hope he eventually reaches out at 2pm instead.