# Can you instantly fall asleep?



## wafflecake (Aug 30, 2010)

I smoke a bowl or five and fall asleep unintentionally while listening to lectures.
I also work nights and am exhausted by the time I get home, so I usually have no problem getting to sleep. On my days off, I just free-run.


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## Radiant Flux (May 7, 2010)

About an hour, no matter how tired I am.


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## saturnne (Sep 8, 2009)

It takes me less than a minute..or at the most less than three minutes.


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## openedskittles (May 24, 2009)

Falling asleep isn't the problem. For me, it's waking up.

If I have something important to wake up for such as class, work, a meeting, flight, etc. I will wake up 1-2 hours before my alarm virtually every day and wake up every 10-20 minutes until about a half hour before my alarm goes off, where I won't be able to sleep for more than 5 minutes at a time, but am still so desperately tired that I don't want to get up.

If I don't have someone important to wake up for, I will wake up 2 or 3 times before getting out of bed and often end up sleeping so much that I feel tired the entire day.

Luckily, I have gotten very good at power naps and around 1-4 in the afternoon I can be out in under 5 minutes and a 15 or 20 minute nap goes a long way to helping me get through the day.


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## dagnytaggart (Jun 6, 2010)

Instantly? I wish. Try a few hours, or all night if I'm particularly unlucky.

I have a love-hate thing with bedtime. It's when I get all these ideas and theories, and until I get up, turn on the lamp, search for the pen that fell down from my bedside desk, and scribble my ideas in a notebook, I can't rest. I'll just obsess over the ideas. I might have 10 ideas in one hour, which is extremely disruptive. 

I also do a lot of mental planning for the next day, down to the minute. Which would be handy, if it wasn't for the fact that I should be SLEEPING. Not THINKING.

I need some opiates. :sad:

P.S. Fortunately, I also get a lot of ideas whilst on the toilet, which tends to be more convenient. I've got a notebook there for the purpose as well. Plus, if I ever run out of toilet paper...


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## Onomatopoeia (Nov 2, 2010)

I'm in the 30-45 minute bracket, as well. I also wake up at least 3 or 4 times during the night. I remember being like this as young as 5 years old (possibly even younger). I'm a light sleeper with really good hearing, and I also have tinnitus which can keep me awake for hours if I don't have background noise. My boyfriend, on the other hand, will fall asleep within 5 minutes of his head hitting the pillow and stay asleep the whole night. I would kill to have that ability.


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## dude10000 (Jan 24, 2010)

Usually 15min to 1hr, unless I'm wiped out from a physically demanding activity.


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## xRilah (Nov 29, 2010)

I have a lot of trouble falling asleep at night, because the moment I'm in my bed alone I can't stop thinking. The solution I found is just going to bed extremely late. If I go when I'm so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open, I do fall asleep immediately. Yes, I'm tired the next day, but it's better than laying awake for hours.


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## amosbanga (Nov 25, 2010)

Looks like my sleep habits are similar to some on this thread.

Yeah, I'm ridiculously nocturnal, and I also have a difficult time falling asleep in under 30 minutes. Usually that only happens if I'm physically exhausted (such as from moving all day) or if I am sleep deprived for days. When my mind is wandering too much or I am particularly anxious it can take 4+ hours for me to fall asleep :frustrating:

In general it's difficult to keep a rein on my thoughts. My (probably unhealthy) technique is to hold off on trying to sleep until I feel really tired, which results in me going to bed later and later every night until something throws me off.


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## Warp (Dec 1, 2010)

The only time I find myself falling asleep under a hour of laying down is if something is boring me to sleep.


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## Zoness (Dec 1, 2010)

My head is constantly buzzing with issues and worries anymore. Sleeping is unfortunately quite difficult.


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## Thu (Mar 11, 2010)

It takes time, oh yes indeed. When going to bed I like to be the last one, because I share room with my brother and when he is around doing stuff or entering the room just for a second I can't relax. Also, I try to keep my mind as let up as I can, once I start thinking it makes me anxious and I can't relax for a while..


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## ListlesslyNumb (Nov 28, 2010)

Some days I'll find myself dozing off during last period at school.
But then when I get home and try to nap, it just doesn't happen. Ever.

At night my mind just swirls around and I just can't relax, I've tried different 'relaxation' tapes and techniques. But they're
all just a bunch of baloney. 
Generally give me an hour and I'll fall asleep, sometimes a lot more, rarely any less.


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## toe tag (Dec 1, 2010)

I've been able to stay away for up to twenty-two hours or so. After that it is a massive headache that is not easily tamed (forget the Advil, it is of no help). Lately I'm going to bed at midnight and wake up at six or seven if I'm lucky. I just don't stay asleep. If I do fall asleep (however rare that may be) I wake up later at two and then at four. I find that it is best to attempt to sleep in a totally dark environment. Shut the windows and close the curtains. A warm glass of chocolate milk is good too.


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## absentminded (Dec 3, 2010)

I usually stare at the ceiling waiting for my mind to grind to a halt. Usually takes 30 minutes to an hour. I've been experimenting with hypnosis though. It's amazing. =]


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## Proteus (Mar 5, 2010)

Exactly the opposite. Unless I'm dead tired it usually takes me at least an hour. Staying asleep for more than a couple hours at a time is even more difficult.


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## TheClog17 (Oct 25, 2010)

It has always taken me a very long time to get to sleep. My brain just won't shut up - no matter how hard I try. 

I remember once, when I was younger, my Mum taught me long division just before bed in the hope that intellectual stimulation would lead to mental exhaustion and therefore sleep. It didn't work and I probably spent even longer staying up contemplating long division. Although, I can see where her logic is coming from as if I've had an intellecutally tiring day I can fall asleep much more quickly than if I've had a physically tiring one.


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## Azwan (Nov 2, 2010)

For me to instantly fall asleep, it involves a whole day's worth of movement and strenuous activities. But the usual, it takes me about 20-30 minutes before I can fall asleep. Meanwhile I just roll in bed thinking about what happened during the day and what could be improved and think about the future. Sometimes I'll imagine I'm having a normal conversation with some celebrity atop a windy hill, like the one in "Kings and Queens" video.


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## Choptop (Nov 20, 2010)

God no. I have delayed sleep phase syndrome. An average night takes about 4 hours to fall asleep, if I end up sleeping at all. I often lay in bed with my eyes closed from midnight to sunrise, then get up. There is no amount of medication that works on me. I've had this schedule since I was a baby. 

It's a damn pain.


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## bhavik15 (Dec 28, 2010)

Obsidean said:


> It usually takes me 30 minutes to an hour to fall asleep. I just kinda lie there and all these ideas bounce around like a pinball.
> 
> So how long does it take for you to go to sleep and does anyone techniques to quieten the mind?


I do the exact same thing. I'm often thinking of various things, but I try and imagine darkness. Focusing on keeping my mind blank usually helps me fall asleep.


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