Sleep Latency: what does it mean?

Sleep latency is the time it takes for you to fall asleep once your head hits the pillow.

How long do you take?

Ideally, it should take you between 10 to 20 minutes. Too short, and you’re likely sleep-deprived. Too long, and your body or mind is resisting sleep.

But why does this happen?

Falling asleep is not a switch. It is a process of winding down. For your body to fall asleep, your core body temperature must drop.

Your brain must stop producing alerting signals like dopamine or norepinephrine. Your autonomic nervous system must shift gears from fight-or-flight to rest-and-digest.

If any of these don’t happen, you lie in bed, eyes closed, mind buzzing.

Why do you take longer than normal?

You may be on your phone, under artificial blue light, suppressing melatonin. You may eat too close to bedtime, making your body digest when it should be resting.

You may be anxious or overstimulated. A single thought looping in your mind is enough to delay sleep.

To reduce sleep latency, you must train your body to recognize it is time to sleep.

Start by dimming the lights one hour before bed. Avoid screens. Avoid food. Take a warm/cold shower to help your core body temperature drop after.

Breathe slowly. Deeply. Focus on your breath.

Anchor your mind to something repetitive. A prayer, mantra or hymn.

If you still can’t fall asleep, don’t lie in bed awake. Get up. Read something boring. Let your body associate your bed with sleep. Not frustration.

You can also support your parasympathetic system. Magnesium helps. Lavender oil helps. A cooling pillow. Weighted blankets. All these help your nervous system feel safe.

When your body feels safe, and your mind is calm, sleep follows naturally.

The goal is not to try to fall asleep.

It is to create the conditions where sleep is inevitable.

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