Many people have difficulty falling asleep despite being tired. Some end up staring at the ceiling or tossing and turning in bed for hours. This brings up the question, how long does it take to fall asleep?
As Dr. Michelle Drerup told the Cleveland Clinic, the average time to fall asleep is around five to 20 minutes, but these numbers vary from one person to another.
What matters most is to make sure you get proper rest. It could take you as little as two minutes to fall asleep and yet, you may wake up feeling drowsy and sluggish.
Some studies indicate a strong relationship between sleep quality and sleep latency, or the amount of time needed to fall asleep. Below we’ll discuss these aspects and share some simple ways to fall asleep faster.
Let’s get into it.
How Long Does It Take to Fall Asleep?
Sleep latency, or the amount of time it takes you to fall asleep, varies among individuals. Its duration also depends on your mental state, overall health, dietary habits, and other factors—but more on that later.
How long it takes you to fall asleep has a major impact on sleep efficiency, notes Verywell Health.
Chances are, you won’t get adequate rest if you spend an hour or longer in bed without actually sleeping.
As mentioned earlier, most people fall asleep within five and 20 minutes after going to bed— though five to 15 minutes is common, too.
The moment you close your eyes, you enter an alpha state, meaning that alpha brain waves take over. Your brain will then begin to produce theta waves followed by delta waves when you finally fall asleep.
Alpha brainwaves are associated with feelings of calmness and relaxation. Meditation, for example, allows practitioners to enter the alpha state of mind.
Stress and anxiety may decrease alpha waves, making it difficult to relax and fall asleep. That’s why health experts recommend practicing meditation and limiting blue light before bedtime.
The takeaway here is that sleep lately varies from one person to another. There’s nothing wrong with falling asleep in as little as one minute or as long as 30 minutes. However, if it takes you an hour or more to fall asleep, you may have insomnia or other underlying conditions.
Factors That May Affect Sleep Latency
As discussed above, stress and anxiety can affect sleep latency. Likewise, several other factors may interfere with your body’s internal clock, keeping you from falling asleep.
For example, a 2021 study published in the Journal of Research in Medical Sciences found that psychological problems led to poor sleep experiences in about 67% of students.
Noise, room scents, and exposure to cigarette smoke in the bedroom contributed to a bad night’s sleep, too.
Family problems and relationship issues can keep you up at night as well. The same goes for pain, depression, sadness, and other physical or mental problems.
Let’s see other factors that may disrupt your sleeping patterns:
- Alcohol use
- Caffeine consumption
- Heavy or fatty meals
- Strenuous exercise before bedtime
- Artificial light, especially blue light
- Environmental factors, such as indoor air quality and room temperature
- Social factors like financial distress, loneliness, or work-related issues
- Seasonal changes
- Afternoon naps
- Certain medications
- Night shift work
- Insomnia and other sleep disorders
According to one study, as many 63% of Americans use sleep aids to fall asleep. With that most common aides being drugs & alcohol.
Alcoholic beverages increase the levels of adenosine, a chemical that depresses the central nervous system and causes feelings of drowsiness. But, despite their relaxing effects, they affect sleep quality and duration.
Note that certain medications can keep you from falling asleep, too. Alpha- and beta-blockers, corticosteroids, antidepressants, and statins are just a few examples.
Corticosteroids, for instance, may reduce pain and inflammation, but they also affect the adrenal glands, making it difficult to relax and sleep.
Is It Normal to Fall Asleep Instantly?
We all have those days when we fall asleep instantly, but is it normal? The answer depends on who you ask.
Dr. Michael Breus told Insider that falling asleep too quickly is a red flag. Most times, it means that you’re extremely tired or sleep-deprived. Breus says that it should take you at least five minutes to doze off.
The Cleveland Clinic, on the other hand, states that there’s nothing wrong with falling asleep quickly as long as you feel refreshed the next day.
Another aspect to consider is that you may not precisely recall how long it takes you to doze off. The only way to measure sleep lately is to have your brain activity monitored during sleep.
As discussed earlier, brain waves slow down as you relax and switch from wakefulness to sleep. This process takes place gradually over several minutes. Therefore, you may not be falling asleep as quickly as you think.
Take These Steps to Fall Asleep Faster
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, it shouldn’t take you more than half an hour to fall asleep. If you find yourself staring at the walls for longer than 30 minutes, you may have a sleep disorder, such as insomnia.
However, don’t underestimate stress and other factors that can affect your sleep. If you’re overly tired or burned out, it’s normal to have difficulty falling asleep after hitting the pillow.
The good news is, there are some things you can do to calm your mind and body at bedtime.
Take these steps to fall asleep faster and get a better night’s rest:
- Meditate for about 15 to 20 minutes before bedtime. Relaxation techniques, including meditation, may reduce stress and increase alpha brain waves, helping you fall asleep faster.
- Cut back caffeine and alcohol, as they decrease alpha brainwaves and make it harder to wind down.
- Try to relax before sleep, recommends the Northwestern Health Unit. Make a habit out of practicing yoga, listen to soothing music, or doing breathing exercises. Journaling may help, too.
- Pay attention to what you eat for dinner. Sugary foods, fatty meals, and excessive eating can affect digestion and blood sugar levels, making it difficult to fall asleep.
- Commit to regular exercise. Physical activity is clinically proven to improve sleep quality. Just make sure you work out at least three to four hours before hitting the sack.
- Napping can boost your energy and mental focus, but it may also affect sleep latency and quality at night. If you want to take a nap, do it early in the day.
- Empty your mind and count down slowly from 100 while in bed. This simple exercise can get your mind off distressing or negative thoughts and make it easier to relax.
Most importantly, try to create a restful sleep environment. For example, you may want to soundproof your room, put your phone on silent, or turn down the thermostat. White noise, such as ambient sounds, promotes relaxation, too.
Prepare Yourself for a Good Night’s Sleep
We hope that we have answered your question, “How long does it take to fall asleep?” As you can see, there’s no magic number you should focus on.
Listen to your body, unwind before bedtime, and see how you feel the next day.
Whether it takes you five minutes or 20 minutes to fall asleep, that’s perfectly fine.
However, if you feel that you’re not getting enough rest, see our guide on how to sleep better. We’ll show you how to train yourself to go to bed earlier and wake up with the sun.
How long does it take you to doze off? Is it five, 10, or 30 minutes? Do you have any tips for falling asleep faster? Share your experience below!
FAQ
Most healthy adults can fall asleep within 5 – 20 minutes. Falling asleep in less than 5 minutes could be an indication of overtiredness. If you find yourself falling asleep the second your head hits the pillow, consider going to bed earlier or trying to wake up later.
If it takes you upwards of an hour to fall asleep, it’s likely because you cannot turn off your thoughts. A racing mind or thinking of all the things you need to do, say, or accomplish can leave your brain unable to settle into healthy sleep rhythms.
Yes. Many sleepers can successfully fall asleep within 7 minutes. But if your sleep habits tend to push outside of this target, do not be concerned. There are many factors that influence how long it takes to fall asleep. Anywhere in the 5 – 20 minute range would still be considered normal for most sleepers.
Citations
- Cleveland Clinic. (2020, November 6). If you fall asleep instantly – is that a good thing? Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved October 6, 2021, from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/if-you-fall-asleep-instantly-is-that-a-good-thing-2/.
- Peters, B. (2020, December 7). How sleep latency has an impact on your sleep. Verywell Health. Retrieved October 6, 2021, from https://www.verywellhealth.com/sleep-latency-3014920.
- Interpreting a sleep study. Sleep WA. (2017, June 9). Retrieved October 6, 2021, from https://www.sleepwa.com.au/interpreting-a-sleep-study/.
- Scientific American. (1997, December 22). What is the function of the various brainwaves? Scientific American. Retrieved October 6, 2021, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-the-function-of-t-1997-12-22/.
- Stress, anxiousness, and the Brain Wave Connection. NeuroScience (en-US). (n.d.). Retrieved October 6, 2021, from https://www.neuroscienceinc.com/news/2020/stress-anxiousness-and-the-brain-wave-connection.
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- Headley, C. W. (2019, December 12). The majority of Americans Use Drugs or alcohol to fall asleep. Ladders. Retrieved October 6, 2021, from https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/the-majority-of-americans-use-drugs-or-alcohol-to-fall-asleep.
- The Science of Sleep. American Chemical Society. (n.d.). Retrieved October 6, 2021, from https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters/past-issues/archive-2014-2015/the-science-of-sleep.html.
- Neel, A. B. (n.d.). Insomnia – 10 medications that can cause sleeplessness. AARP. Retrieved October 6, 2021, from https://www.aarp.org/health/drugs-supplements/info-04-2013/medications-that-can-cause-insomnia.html.
- Schmalbruch, S. (2017, January 20). Falling asleep too quickly is a bad thing – here’s why. Insider. Retrieved October 6, 2021, from https://www.insider.com/is-falling-asleep-too-quickly-bad-sleep-deprivation-signs-2017-1.
- U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2021, September 21). Sleep disorders. MedlinePlus. Retrieved October 6, 2021, from https://medlineplus.gov/sleepdisorders.html.
- Holt, D. (2020, April 14). Council post: Five steps to reducing stress and increasing Alpha Brainwaves. Forbes. Retrieved October 6, 2021, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2020/04/14/five-steps-to-reducing-stress-and-increasing-alpha-brainwaves/?sh=514c1608fcb4.
- Healthy living. nwhu.on.ca. (n.d.). Retrieved October 6, 2021, from https://www.nwhu.on.ca/ourservices/HealthyLiving/Pages/Sleep-Hygiene.aspx.
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