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.

Yes I can sleep most places I struggle to stay away at the cinema if in not interested in the film dark room cosy chair perfect for an afternoon snooze. I fall asleep with in a minute or two at night and love an afternoon nap

Ds can sleep anywhere no matter how noisy from when he was a tiny baby.

I do keep myself awake looking at my phone 🙄

I used to be able to but struggle now unless in the car. I get over-tired and can't switch off.

I listen to personal attention ASMR videos on youtube which have been my saviour, some are not my taste, I like Gibi and LateNightTingles.

Nope, insomnia is an annoying thing for me and there are many nights I'm awake all the way through. I often need either a sedating antihistamine or stronger to try and establish a sleep pattern. DP on the other hand is asleep within five minutes of her head touching the pillow. I'm not jelly, honest... 💤

I can fall asleep alright, but here I am wide awake at 4am

As I settled down last night I was thinking of this thread. I moved around a bit more than usual, wondering if it would take longer than normal because I was thinking of trying to sleep.

I was right. It did take longer.

It took about 1 minute rather than 1 second.

Yes- I can pretty much fall asleep any time of night and day if I had some quiet and darkened the room. Many times though I don’t even need to do that. I’m just tired a lot of the time because I stay up late and I have young kids. Reading a book or my phone makes me sleep very quickly and to be honest in bed when I read my phone it’s a struggle to get past 5 mins without the phone dropping on the floor.
I don’t know how I do it- I don’t do anything specifically? Just read and my body falls asleep! It’s not always been that way before kids though and not being able to get to sleep is the most frustrating thing ever!!

@Lynda07

www.nothingmuchhappens.com/

Yes. In adult life I consider it as great a talent as being able to paint or sing to a high standard
I'm also able to sleep anywhere, my high points being through a James Bond film in the cinema and on The Spanish Steps.

I wonder what the common denominators are! I'm fascinated by those who can fall asleep instantly. My XP used to nod off over his laptop and whilst drinking tea. I have to be laid flat (preferably my own bed) covered over, dark room - although I do run audio books while I'm sleeping, because if I wake up I start the 'random thoughts and worries' thing. Having a book playing somehow my brain listens to the story and drifts back off, it doesn't do that 'did I pay the milkman?' thing at three a m.

It takes me about half an hour to fall properly asleep. And I don't sleep deeply.

So I wonder if there is a common denominator between those who fall asleep every time they sit down and those who have precise sleeping requirements? I've had five children, I do a lot of exercise and I work, I'm often tired, but I still can't nap or fall asleep in a chair!

Yes it is a great talent to have

I fell asleep when I went to see oasis at Knebwoth. I had been partying for two days before and been mostly awake

I think it might be genetics. I never have kept a strict routine over bedtime with ds some nights he is up a little later than others but rarely late he never fights sleep. When he has his friends to sleep over he is always the first asleep and will sleep through any amount of noise it’s certainly parenting easier as times

I envy anyone who can sleep properly.

My DP is a good sleeper, can sleep anywhere, anytime and other than being a bit of a snorer he generally doesn't move. He could sleep 8 hours in same position

I'm the complete opposite. Before children I needed earplugs and flight mask to sleep. I never, ever fall straight to sleep (always takes between 30-90 minutes), I never, ever sleep the whole night through (best stretch I get is maximum 6 hours but that is rare!). I cannot sleep in the day, I cannot sleep on planes or any other kind of transport.

Average night is bed at 10pm, last pee at 11pm, wake at 2am, wake at 5am and up for day at 7am

FWIW I function spectacularly badly with not enough sleep. The idea of only sleeping lightly for a few hours a night makes me feel genuinely queasy.
Perhaps my body allows this miraculous talent as a way of preserving my sanity and my families lives ?

But that's the thing Treacherous. I NEED at least nine hours a night in order to be reasonable the next day. But I can't fall asleep easily and I tend to wake several times a night. Which means I need to be on a permanent 'bed countdown' to arrange myself sufficient sleep to function.

Yes, I'm ahead hits the pillow and I'm out type. Drives dh mad. He has suffered with insomnia and just doesn't understand how I can do it. I love sleep 😴 apparently I slept through the night at 10 days old. I'm a nap lover too :)

No I have always had insomnia, I wouldn't even sleep as a child. I also can't stay asleep and wake constantly through the night. It helps to listen to music or meditation apps on my headphones as silence makes it much worse. I am a very light sleeper

I fall asleep easily and sleep well, but I do tend to wake early and can't go back to sleep.

DH is the opposite - he finds it harder to get to sleep but is great at lying in bed in the morning.

I find falling asleep quite easy now but I didn't always used to. When I was a child up to young adult in Uni I used to have real trouble sleeping, especially in university with all those deadlines. My mind just wouldn't shut up.

Now I'm one of those people that will fall asleep on the sofa watching evening TV if I'm not careful. My partner gets annoyed cause he has to keep poking me awake when we're watching something and then I don't know what's going on I find if I'm TRYING to concentrate on something and stay awake, it makes me even more sleepy - whether it's TV or a book in bed. My Mum and Dad both fall asleep during evening TV every night so I guess it's genetic

When it comes to going to sleep in bed it takes me a bit longer. I've developed a technique where I just close my eyes, concentrate on the blackness and try to make that the only thing I think about. It really works for me and I'm able to drift off quite quickly now.
When it really won't happen for me, I like to lay on my back, become as relaxed as possible, and breathe in really slowly. I hold that breath for a slow count of ten, and then release it slowly. Couple of normal breaths and repeat. Really relaxes you and quiets your thoughts. I'm getting a bit sleepy just thinking about it :) I also use a sleep mask which I think helps.

I am however going through this thing at the moment where I wake up at 5:30 in the morning and can't get back to sleep. I feel like that might just be pregnancy insomnia though...