{"id":888,"date":"2022-03-24T16:11:43","date_gmt":"2022-03-24T16:11:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.landofbeds.co.uk\/help-and-advice\/?p=888"},"modified":"2026-10-07T12:35:02","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T11:35:02","slug":"how-to-get-to-sleep-quickly-11-proven-ways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.landofbeds.co.uk\/help-and-advice\/sleep-science\/how-to-get-to-sleep-quickly-11-proven-ways\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get to Sleep Quickly: 11 Evidence-Based Ways to Fall Asleep"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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\n Lying in bed willing yourself to fall asleep rarely has the desired effect. In fact, worrying about how long you’ve been awake can make you feel even more alert.\n <\/p>\n\n

\n If falling asleep has become difficult, the answer usually isn’t one magic trick. Your daytime habits, bedtime routine, bedroom environment and even the way you respond to being awake can all play a part.\n <\/p>\n\n

\n Here are 11 practical, evidence-based ways to make falling asleep easier, plus what to do if you’re regularly lying awake for much longer than you’d like.\n <\/p>\n\n <\/section>\n\n\n \n\n

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\n Quick Answer: How Can You Fall Asleep Faster?\n <\/h2>\n\n

\n To make falling asleep easier, start with a consistent wake-up time, reduce caffeine later in the day, give yourself time to wind down, keep your bedroom dark, quiet and comfortably cool, and try not to force sleep.\n <\/p>\n\n

\n If you’re still wide awake after around 20 minutes, the NHS recommends getting out of bed and doing something relaxing until you feel sleepy again. Regular difficulty falling asleep may be a sign of insomnia and is worth discussing with your GP if changing your sleep habits doesn’t help.\n <\/p>\n\n <\/section>\n\n\n \n\n

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\n How Long Should It Take to Fall Asleep?\n <\/h2>\n\n

\n The amount of time between trying to sleep and actually falling asleep is known as sleep latency<\/strong>.\n <\/p>\n\n

\n For many healthy adults, falling asleep within roughly 10 to 20 minutes<\/strong> is considered typical. Taking a little longer occasionally isn’t necessarily a problem, particularly during periods of stress or disruption.\n <\/p>\n\n

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\n Time to fall asleep\n <\/th>\n\n \n What it may mean\n <\/th>\n <\/tr>\n <\/thead>\n\n
\n Within a few minutes<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n \n This can be normal for some people, but regularly falling asleep almost instantly can also happen when you’re very sleep deprived or excessively sleepy.\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n\n
\n Around 10\u201320 minutes<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n \n This falls within the typical sleep-latency range for many healthy adults.\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n\n
\n Regularly more than 20\u201330 minutes<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n \n This doesn’t automatically mean you have insomnia, but persistent difficulty falling asleep is worth paying attention to.\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n\n <\/table>\n\n <\/div>\n\n

\n You can read more about sleep latency and how long it usually takes to fall asleep<\/a> at the Sleep Foundation.\n <\/p>\n\n <\/section>\n\n\n \n\n

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\n Why Can’t I Fall Asleep Quickly?\n <\/h2>\n\n

\n Difficulty falling asleep can have lots of causes, and often several things are happening at once. Common sleep disruptors include:\n <\/p>\n\n