Can't see my laptop keyboard at night

There are a multitude of devices intended for illuminating a book or kindle, that are a battery and switch with a built in clamp, a flexible neck and a white LED. One of these should fit your laptop lid

That's if you don't fancy buying, or making, an "led on one end of a flexible metal arm, and a USB plug on the other"

In terms of stuff you already have, perhaps use some string to make a necklace, tuck it behind your phone in its protective case (or even just tie it like a gift wrap so it holds your phone) then sling your phone round your neck with the torch activated. You could keep it plugged in to remain charged. If you have a desk stand you could put your phone in that. If you don't have a desk stand, you could make one (shape one out of modeling clay, cut a slot into a potato etc then wrap it in sarin wrap so it doesn't contaminate the phone) or repurpose a phone holder intended for a car (one that clips your phone to the AC vents) so it holds your phone at the top of the screen, looking down onto the keys

Not exactly a hack. Search online for "luminous keyboard stickers". Make sure however they use Light Charged Paints as described in this article that warns against old-fashioned radioactive paint.

https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/luminous.php#:~:text=Radium%20based%20luminous%20paint%20was%20banned%20in%20the,health%20grounds%2C%20is%20plain%20wrong%20and%20highly%20irresponsible.

I claim no scientific or medical knowledge on this subject so I suggest doing your own research before buying.

I'm not sure if you're already able to, but an alternative solution is to learn touch typing. This has the advantage of being faster as well.

(This answer has been typed without directly looking at the keyboard, but admittedly not in complete darkness.)

Go to another room / area where you can turn on the light: kitchen, bathroom(?), balcony, porch...

This has a double advantage:

• it helps you use your laptop;
• the light from the laptop's screen will not bother your room-mates.

A higher tech alternative is to use a forehead lamp. Some of them even have the ability to adjust the light intensity. However, every time you will look around, you will "blind" your room-mates.

There are a number of products that plug into the USB port to cast light on the keyboard. But that is not a life hack solution, it is product recomendation.

The life hack solution is to tip the screen forward so the light from the screen lights the keyboard.