Can you just “fall asleep?”

[Soubriquet]

My dh can.

One minute we can be watching a film and the next he’s out

I can’t. No matter how tired I am, I can’t just fall asleep.

I have to get comfy, shuffle about, toss and turn about 50 times and then start to pretend to dream.

I could fall asleep at any time, anywhere. Its a handy skill to have

Also:

• no naps during the day, never
• ideally my own bed, own side, own pillow/duvet always

Instantly here but I need to empty my bladder first, even if i've only been 10 minutes before. I know it's psychological but I have to do it.
I may read for 10 minutes, feel sleepy and put the light out but then I lay there arguing with myself.

"I need a wee'
"No i don't I only went 10 minutes ago"
"No, i really do" and so on until I give in and go.

So I cut out the argument. Go for a wee immediately before I want to sleep and I'm asleep before my head hits the pillow.

God, I wish I could. I get into bed, get comfy and then I think, oh, my arms aching now in this position, oh but now my knees are too jammed together, bugger it, I've got an itchy nose now, christ I need a wee...... and on and on it goes. I try and ignore all the irritations and minor discomforts but I just can't, so I end up fidgeting for ages. I'd looooooove to be able to just fall straight asleep.

I surprised myself when I stayed awake for a take off recently. Most unusual. I'm normally asleep taxiing beforehand.

My problem is staying awake. Even when I had newborns my dh had to elbow me to get me up to feed them.

I put YouTube videos on every night, and fall asleep to them. But I might go to bed anytime between 12.30am onwards - generally 2 or 3am and don't feel tired. No matter what time I go to bed,I always wake naturally, without alarm at 7 for work and rarely feel tired.

I havent RTFT so don't know if anyone else may have mentioned this tip:
Counsellor once told me that a sleep tip is to lie in bed comfy, eyes closed and envision a number - I use number TWO as it's a short syllable and easy to visualise the physical shape of writing the number "2". (you can choose your own number!)
If you lie there and persistently say the word "Two" in your head, whilst visualising the actual number "2", it keeps your brain from bombarding you with other stimulus. Yet, it is also dull enough to begin relaxing your body and mind. So, I get cosy and start my "two/2" routine and genuinely, it works for me.
Sometimes other thoughts try to sneak in, and I have to be like "Nope, TWOOOO", and they are short lived for me. Routine, mundane and simple

Yes - I have always been that person that is ALWAYS tired. Even if I just woke up.. I'm still tired and can easily go back to sleep. Just gotta close the eyes ..😴

I can also choose to nap, and for how long. I lie down and think '15 mins' or '30 mins'or whatever, and wake up then.

I fall asleep instantly! It must be so annoying laying there awake. If something is on my mind I still fall asleep fast as I like to escape the problem but then I will wake at 4am stewing. I am genuinely tired every night I used to fall asleep as soon as the clocks changed and it gets light early at like 5pm,my body was really in sync with darkness used to drive my dh insane also due to the fact that the children would have me up early. Sometimes I feel myself falling asleep while I'm scrolling on my phone

My boyfriends like this, he could be a professional sleeper. Last night he was asleep by 9:30, he woke up at 10am! He doesn’t move in his sleep, he is just full on conked out the moment he lays down.

I’m a terrible sleeper and I average five hours a night, I have good sleep hygiene, so that isn’t the issue.

Nope. I've done 24 hour travelling absolutely wide awake, while a whole plane full of people sleep around me. I usually go and talk to the air crew.

XP just used to 'deactivate' like a robot. Also used to fall asleep every time he sat down, including 20 minutes after he'd got up. God, that man was boring company! He also thought dreaming was odd and strange...

@ElephantLover - yep, same for me. Wish I could nap, but only ever sleep during the day if I'm ill.

I’m exactly the same as you OP, including having to pretend to dream!

I never just fall asleep while doing something like reading/ watching TV and can’t ever sleep in cars/ trains/ planes etc. I don’t understand how people can just drop off unintentionally as I have to try really hard to sleep!

I can fall asleep anywhere very quickly. I normally get into bed at 11ish then by 11.02 I'm asleep. I never used to be like this. Since having kids and waking at 6 having quite a busy and physical day and bed by 11pm

I get up with no issues either. I just know I have to get up so I do. My son however is not sleeping well right now and his dad struggles to sleep, so I'm really struggling to stay awake until he's sound asleep. Sound like such a bad mum.

I'm like one of those dolls where when you tip the head back the eyes close

Head hits the pillow and I'm gone

Absolutely no problem, I'm another one who could sleep on a knife-edge. I don't have a traditional sleep pattern though (I seem to sleep in shifts) but it became really noticeable before my under-active thyroid was diagnosed. The first time it happened, I was sitting on the floor cuddling one of my dogs, chatting to DH at the same time, and I literally fell asleep while I was talking. He thought I'd either fainted or died!

I rarely stay awake in the car now, the cinema is a waste of money for me, and I've lost count of the number of times I've poured either a hot cup of tea or a glass of red wine into my lap!

My brothers can sleep anywhere any time. I think DH can too.

I take ages to fall asleep & twitch awake very easily.

I take a minimum of 30 minutes to fall asleep but often nearer an hour. I'm also a really light sleeper and wake up multiple times a night for a while each time. I can't sleep in cars or planes either. My husband has actually fallen asleep standing up before, he'll fall asleep before take off on planes and within a minute of lying down in better. He doesn't wake up easily either. I'm so jealous!

I had terrible insomnia until about 23.

Now, I can fall asleep anywhere and anytime. If I go to bed late having watched a lot of tv I do need to read for a bit to switch off - but that genuinely means maybe read a paragraph or two.

Yes as long as I am lying flat. I can't sleep on a train if I'm sitting upright but can if I'm lying across the seats (would obviously never do this now but may have done it as a student... )

I fall asleep easily. No real sense of drifting off, I just go from awake to asleep.
YY to the poster who needs an empty bladder, same here too. Get into bed, read for a few minutes, get comfy, asleep...

My dp can. In fact my ex could as well

My dp falls asleep mid scroll of his phone or playing an online game on it. Instantly.

I'm very jealous. Hes done it now, turned over and instantly starts snoring.takes me bloody ages 😡

I can't go straight to sleep either sometimes takes me hours. X