The Time It Should Take to Fall asleep

Do you fall asleep as soon as you put your head on the pillow, or do you find the minutes ticking by mercilessly before you finally fall asleep? This may indicate a disrupted sleep routine. According to the U.S. National Sleep Foundation, it should only take an average of 10 to 20 minutes to fall asleep.

Your partner may be snoring after only a few minutes, while you are still staring awake at the ceiling. Or vice versa. Not everyone can fall asleep easily at night. The U.S. National Sleep Foundation states that it is normal to fall asleep within 10 to 20 minutes.

If it takes much shorter or longer, your sleep routine is probably disrupted. If it takes longer than an hour to fall asleep, you may be sleeping too much or suffering from insomnia. This can happen if you have trouble relaxing and cannot turn off your thoughts, or if your body is not yet ready to sleep due to a disrupted internal clock or excessive caffeine consumption.

However, if you fall asleep as soon as you approach your bed, this may indicate that you have accumulated a sleep deficit. Julius Patrick, clinical physiologist in the sleep center at Bupa's Cromwell Hospital, says in British newspaper The Huffington Post that sleep deprivation can lead to mood disorders, irritability and difficulty concentrating.

"Monotonous tasks or tasks that require a lot of attention will become increasingly difficult as a result," he says. "An evening routine that helps you relax before going to bed is therefore recommended so that you fall asleep faster and your sleep lasts longer."