How long does it take you to fall asleep at night?

KLevineFan · ‎03-10-2010

I've read that about 15 min is average for people to fall asleep. I wish! Takes me over 1/2 an hour always, sometimes longer. I just can't turn my brain off. I used to fall asleep pretty quickly up to maybe age 60 (I'm 64 now) & usually have 5-6 hrs of sleep on average. I would like to sleep more but never do. I am retired now so don't need to set an alarm clock.

I don't drink caffeine after 7 pm, I try to go to bed by 9-10 pm as I get up about 5-6 am. My bed is comfortable.

Does anyone else have this problem? Any suggestions?

ennui1 · ‎06-23-2013

On 5/9/2014 KathyLFan said:
I don't drink caffeine after 7 pm, I try to go to bed by 9-10 pm

It takes five hours for caffeine to be processed. Stop caffeine by 3 p.m., at least.

deepwaterdotter · ‎03-09-2010

After I put on my CPAP mask, it's just a matter of minutes.

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

I'm not very good at sleeping. I can crash out in half an hour, or it could take two hours. Either way, I wake up all night anyway.

If I get my hands on some Ambien 10 I will crash out within half an hour and not wake up sometimes for 5-6 hours. That's a nice treat! But the trick with Ambien is to get in the bed, take it, and lay down. Don't take it ahead of time and start doing stuff or you'll just have your own little party and hours will go by in a minute.

KLevineFan · ‎03-10-2010

On 5/9/2014 ennui1 said:
On 5/9/2014 KathyLFan said:
I don't drink caffeine after 7 pm, I try to go to bed by 9-10 pm

It takes five hours for caffeine to be processed. Stop caffeine by 3 p.m., at least.

I never had caffeine problems in the past, not sure if that is the issue. It is hard not drinking it w/dinner (around 5-6 pm). Wonder if I should have more hours after I eat, could that be a problem? When I worked, always ate late as I would not get home until after 6 pm, but I eat earlier now, retired.

Burnsite · ‎03-10-2010

Hi, KathyL, Exercise during the day (not within 6 hrs of bedtime) will also help sleep, or so I've found.

I don't watch TV to fall asleep either--I read for a few minutes and turn out the light. If something I am worried about is happening the next day, I will wake up after 6 hrs or so. If not, I sleep really well.

For me: no workout after about 4PM, no alcohol within 3-4 hours of bedtime, and no soundtrack--no tv or radio. Just a book.

It works unless I am worried about work the next day.

BeckiWV · ‎04-12-2011

Sometimes right away, sometimes a couple of hours, sometimes not at all. Ugh. The joys of menopause.

I would say I do very well most nights, then will have a few rough days, and then go back to good nights.

Right now I am in a "good" phase. Hope it lasts for awhile. Nothing worse than a bad night's sleep.

loveschocolate · ‎05-11-2012

On 5/9/2014 BeckiWV said:
Sometimes right away, sometimes a couple of hours, sometimes not at all. Ugh. The joys of menopause.

I would say I do very well most nights, then will have a few rough days, and then go back to good nights.

Right now I am in a "good" phase. Hope it lasts for awhile. Nothing worse than a bad night's sleep.

Gotta LOVE menopause! Ugh!

JustJules · ‎06-25-2013

What's sleep? I used to sleep like a baby up until my 30's then stress seemed to start working.... took me longer to fall asleep, woke up more frequently during the night with stuff on my brain. It did get better for awhile, but lately I don't get much quality sleep. Even when I am totally exhausted it takes me sometime to fall asleep, then it's disturbed sleep. I typically find myself waking up almost every hour. I know it is stress related, but even taking puppy for walks in the park, trying to get some relaxation and exercise in the afternoon or evening doesn't seem to help much. I hate taking medication so I won't resort to sleep aids, the few times I have used Tylenol PM it makes me feel groggy in the morning. I'm hoping with time it will improve, but it's frustrating. Quality sleep is so important to our overall health and well-being.

*typos*

DoneTryin · ‎03-09-2010

Sometimes it helps to quiet the brain by turning off tv, pc, etc. within an hour of bedtime, & maybe 10-15 minutes of meditation with deep breathing (I turn out all the lights). Sometimes it works for me & sometimes not. Getting to sleep & staying asleep for more than 4-5 hours at a time was a lot easier before I turned 40. Now 66. The next time I hear that song "I Enjoy Being A Girl" I'm gonna sock the singer.