AIBU to not understand falling asleep by accident?

[Aulwan]

I know IABU but I can't seem to start a thread in chat. Anyway I have never in my life just "fallen asleep" e.g. on the couch, reading in bed etc. I have to decide to go to sleep and it takes a while. It's always a decision, it never just happens. I seem to be alone though based on all the people falling asleep all over the place! Anyone else like this or am I just wierd?

It depends on how tired I am. Normally I would have to wait until I felt tired and then lie down to purposefully fall asleep.

When I've been up in the night with the kids and then up early for work I can be absolutely exhausted - especially if that has gone on for several days.

My most tired moment was when I actually fell asleep mid sentence whilst reading to my child. She woke me up to ask me why I hadn't finished the story.

Luckily, these days I'm not usually quite that tired.

I fall asleep anywhere, now in my forties but I was the same from my teens. Often fall asleep half way through a programme. In fact only this week I’d fallen asleep on the couch, woken and come upstairs to bed, and started dreaming whilst on the loo . Thankfully woke after a second before anything awful happened.

I used to be a fussy sleeper like you.

Then I lived in university halls during first year in a terribly uncomfortable single bed, with lots of very loud noise in the background outside and bright lights on etc (our student union was outside so lots of drunken students). I have also slept over at my friends so had to share a small bed in an unfamiliar environment etc. So I’ve just gotten used to sleeping in a less than perfect (lights out/silent/comfortable/my own space etc) environment or else I’d be sleep deprived.

I don't think DD slept for more than an hour at a time up until about 10 months old. I was so tired I would hallucinate and hear voices.

You can bet your life there were multiple times I accidently fell asleep.

DD on the other hand has never accidentally (or willingly) fell asleep in her life. Everybody and every body are different. Neither are 'weird' or wrong. They just are.

Lucky you! I’d sleep on a blade if I was tired enough.

I wish I had better control over going to sleep! Sometimes I'm desperately trying to stay awake and will still nod off...

Is it just good versus bad sleepers then? Though I was a good sleeper when young and still never just fell asleep randomly.

I am always falling asleep - Between 7:30 - 10pm as soon as I get to snooze temperature then I shut down transmission. And as soon as I get past 10 pm I have to actively work to stay awake.

I also never randomly nodded off when I was sleep deprived - and I have been utterly on my knees with all combinations of non-sleeping children (for bloody years, they slept through aged 2 and 5 respectively and even then not regularly or reliably!) that added to single parenthood, work and study, at various times....

Still have to create a sleep environment, and concentrate on it, to sleep. I think it increases sleep deprivation as I can easily be up for another 30-60 minutes after every night waking just trying to nod off again, and before you do they are up again!

It takes me ages to fall asleep, and even then I wake up several times during the night. Also going to bed late every night means I have 4-5 hours a night.
I couldn't just sleep anywhere

I’m like you. I’ve only just started to be able to nap in the day very occasionally since having a baby. But I’m not a great sleeper. I’d love to just be able to have a quick nap on the sofa, but I have to purposely go to bed and lay there for at least half an hour.

I always heard sleep begets sleep and I’m inclined to believe it. If I’ve had good sleep I can fall asleep easier the next day. If I’ve had a bad nights sleep I’m guaranteed to have an even harder time the next night because I’m all keyed up.

I don’t think it has anything to do with tiredness. I had a cranky non-sleeping baby who woke hourly until he was a year, and was permanently exhausted to the point of hallucinating, but still never dropped off. I find it hard to go to sleep Normally, wake easily, and am incapable of naps.

I kind of envy people who sleep easily. I had a colleague who used to take cat naps on his office floor, and I admired that,

I'm with you OP. I have never just fallen asleep except on a handful of occasions when I have been poorly (glandular fever or flu). Even when I was trying to sleep in 45 minute bursts with a prem baby and could barely string a sentence together I needed to lie down and make a decision to sleep. It was awful.
Once I'm asleep though you could land a 747 in the road and I would sleep through it. I did wake up for the dc when they were little though

I wish I was like you OP. I struggle to stay asleep driving on long journeys once it gets dark. It has been scary at times. Now I just don't do it but it is restricting.

I can fall asleep anywhere if I am tired enough, once sitting on speakers in a nightclub.

Boudoir I definitely envy people who can nap easily. I can manage it once in a blue moon but it takes about half an hour and some determination to get off. Even if I'm really tired.

I never could, then I had DC. Still struggle at night, but I do occasionally drop off on the sofa at around 10.30 or in the car (when DH is driving!)

The only other time I feel myself going is in v dull meetings straight after lunch at work!

Is it just good versus bad sleepers then?

Only if you assume that those people falling asleep in random places are waking up and not getting back to sleep quickly. If I wake up after falling asleep on the sofa then I go to bed and fall back to sleep in a minute or 2.

Falling asleep at the wheel of the car is a different thing... that is very bad. Open windows, loud music, talking crap with the passenger, park up at first opportunity. Do not get in a car with me if I am driving after 10.

I used to be the same, even when I had a newborn never slept in the day. Now I can easily fall asleep on the sofa. Not sure it’s by accident though!

No I’ve never fallen asleep by accident in my life. I have to think about doing it and be in a bed. Couldn’t imagine falling asleep on sofa, train - even planes are a nightmare

My dh falls asleep in less than a minute when he comes to bed. He can sleep anywhere. I'm jealous

I used to be like you and struggled to sleep even if I tried never mind by accident. Now I'm hypothyroid and literally fall asleep any time I am stationary for any length of time .
I'm not actually sure what version of me I preferred but hoping I can find a middle ground once I get my meds dosage right!

I’m the opposite and my DH just cannot understand how I can’t help falling asleep sometimes. One minute I’ll be fine then bam I’m asleep. I can be watching a gripping tv programme that I’ve been really looking forward to, actively trying to keep myself awake and then before I know it DH is waking me up. It’s frustrating!

DH OTOH can and does drop off to sleep in front of the telly regularly. Even in the middle of the day.

Wait until you hit your 50s, my eyes were closing at my desk today 😳😳😳