Revealed: How Long It Should Take You To Fall Asleep At Night (And How To Sleep Better)

When we’re struggling to fall asleep, we can sometimes slip into the habit of checking the clock, feeling stressed about the amount of time it’s taking us to nod off.

But how long should it actually take us to drop off after we hit the hay?

According to the National Sleep Foundation, it’s normal to take 10 to 20 minutes to fall asleep each night.

Any more or any less than that could mean there’s a problem with our sleep routine.

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According to the foundation, if it takes you more than an hour to fall asleep you may be “sleeping too much” or “grappling with sleep onset insomnia”.

“This can happen if you have trouble relaxing and turning off your thoughts at night. It can also happen if your body isn’t ready for sleep because you had too much caffeine or your internal clock is out of whack for another reason (such as jet lag,” the site explains.

Equally, if you fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow it could be a sign of sleep deprivation following a series of late nights, the foundation says.

Julius Patrick, clinical physiologist at the lung and sleep centre at Bupa’s Cromwell Hospital, said sleep deprivation can lead to mood changes, fatigue, irritability and difficulty concentrating.

“Tasks that are monotonous, long, newly learned and require memory recall are normally the most affected,” he said.

“We’ve all been in that situation, where getting to sleep can become challenging. It has been recommended that an evening ‘wind-down’ routine can help you relax causing you to fall asleep quicker and to maintain sleep for longer.”

If you’re concerned about the amount of time it’s taking you to nod off, Patrick’s top five tips to help you fall asleep at night include:

Banish your electrical devices from your bed: avoid using mobiles, laptops and watching TV, as these devices emit a blue light which gives the brain a false assumption that you are in plain daylight. Try to avoid using these once you are tucked into bed.
Avoid stressful and strenuous activities: exercise during the day is important for maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle. It takes time to wind down after a workout, so time it right and don’t exercise right before bedtime.
Watch your caffeine and alcohol intake: Too much caffeine can over-stimulate your nervous system, affecting your ability to fall asleep. Caffeine is found in coffee, black and green tea, some soft drinks, and chocolate, among other things. Alcohol consumption may give you the impression that you sleep better, but you will actually wake up more often and sleep will be more fragmented than usual.
Remember to wind-down: If you have an evening ‘wind-down’ routine, it can help you relax and fall asleep quicker. Sometimes, if you’ve had a stressful day, you should take five or ten minutes to reflect and resolve any troubles that may be bothering you, so you can go to bed with your mind at ease.
Be comfortable in your surroundings: Your sleeping environment should be dark, quiet and be a comfortable temperature. A dim light may interrupt and shorten your sleep. If you have a clock by your bed, you are more likely to check the time if you wake up during the night, and this can disrupt the rest of your sleep.

Sleep Hacks You Need To Know About

Cool Down With A Warm Bath(01 of05)

Taking a relaxing warm bath is the oldest sleep tip in the book. But while it might sound counterintuitive, it’s not so much the toasty-warm feeling that helps to send you off into the land of nod but rather the sudden drop in body temperature that occurs when you leave the bath.

This temperature decline mimics the natural drop in body temperature that occurs during the evening as we move towards sleep, thus acting as a cue for relaxation.

One study of elderly people found that those who had a warm bath before bedtime reported falling asleep faster and more soundly. And don’t worry if you don’t have time for a luxurious soak, a hot shower will have a similar effect. (credit:John Lund/Marc Romanelli via Getty Images)

Wear Bed Socks(02 of05)

They might not be the sexiest bedtime attire but wearing socks could be your key to falling asleep more quickly.

A study at the Sleep Laboratory in Basel, Switzerland, published in the journal 'Nature', found that as we approach the threshold of sleep, the body’s temperature regulation system redistributes heat from your core to your extremities. Having cold feet demands more from this system and upsets the natural release of melatonin, a hormone associated with sleep onset.

Chartered physiotherapist and author of The Good Sleep Guide, Sammy Margo concurs: “You won’t get a good night’s sleep if your feet are too cold,” she says. To avoid the opposite effect (overheating in the night), she recommends investing in cashmere as this has natural heat regulating properties. (credit:Laura Ascari via Getty Images)

Turn Up The Noise(03 of05)

Earplugs are great for blocking out noise – ideal if you live in a city or an apartment block. But for those who find them uncomfortable to wear, an alternative option is to introduce a constant ambient sound, or ‘white’ noise, into your bedroom.

Research shows this masks potentially disruptive sounds by reducing the difference between background noise and ‘peak’ noise, such as slamming doors.

There are plenty of white noise apps available – or, if you prefer to switch off all your electronic devices before bedtime (and, quite frankly, you should), you could invest in a white noise machine. (credit:Jaykayl via Getty Images)

Park Your Problems(04 of05)

If worrying about work or problems in your personal life prevents you from drifting off into the land of nod – or getting back to sleep when you wake in the night – jotting down some potential solutions in a notebook before you hit the sack could be the key to a stress-free sleep.

A study published in 'Behavioural Sleep Medicine' split volunteers, all with reported insomnia, into two groups. Before going to bed, one group recorded possible solutions to their worries while the second group recorded their worries and completed worry questionnaires. The group that recorded solutions had reduced pre-sleep cognitive arousal (read: whirring mind). (credit:CZQS2000 / STS via Getty Images)

Fake Daylight(05 of05)

“Sunlight helps the body's internal biological clock to reset itself each day so if possible, wake up with the sun,” says Jade Wells, Senior Physiologist at Nuffield Health.

Of course, that’s easier said than done in the dark depths of the British winter. As an alternative, she suggests: “Use very bright lights in the morning. There are even alarm clocks that mimic the effect of the rise, rising to wake you up gently every day.”

The Lumie Bodyclock Starter 30 Wake Up to Daylight Light helps to regulate your sleep/wake cycle and combat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), waking you with a gradually brightening 30-minute sunrise so when you open your eyes you feel awake and refreshed. (credit:lzf via Getty Images)