How long does it take you to fall asleep? Expert explains 'sleep latency' and what it says about your health

We all know someone who falls asleep as soon as their head hits the pillow but how quickly we go from being awake to entering the land of nod can affect our health.

Sleep latency is the term that describes the time it takes you to fall asleep. It’s thought that on average, we generally take around 10 to 20 minutes to go from awake to asleep.

You might find that you occasionally go to sleep even quicker than this, however, when you’re feeling especially tired. You might also find that when you’re stressed or feeling under the weather, it takes a little longer to drift off. Both of these can happen from time to time.

But regularly going to sleep fast or taking a while to fall asleep could indicate there are lifestyle factors that are affecting your ability to sleep well.

We're exploring exactly what sleep latency is, and ask Denise Lordache, a qualified hypnotherapist with a Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy, accredited by The British Psychological Society who specialises in helping women overcome insomnia, what a normal sleep latency is and what affects the time it takes to fall asleep.

What is sleep latency?

Also known as sleep onset latency, sleep latency is the time it takes you to transition from being fully awake to falling asleep.

“We care about and measure sleep latency because it’s an essential indicator of overall sleep health, and it provides insight into how well your body and mind are prepared for rest night after night,” explains Denise Lordache, sleep therapist and founder of JoySpace Therapy.

“Monitoring and improving your sleep latency is crucial for achieving restorative sleep and maintaining your mental and physical health,” she adds.

What’s a normal sleep latency?

Normal sleep latency typically falls between 10 to 20 minutes and if you regularly drift off within this timeframe, it’s good news for your health, says Denise.

“Falling asleep within 10 to 20 minutes suggests your daily routines (such as diet, managing stress and keeping active), plus your sleep environment and your habits and attitudes towards sleep are aligned with your body’s natural rhythms.”

If you go to sleep very quickly, this can be a sign of sleep deprivation. It can indicate that you aren’t getting enough quality sleep and due to this, your body and mind are extra tired.

When you take longer to fall asleep, this can affect your sleep quality and you may feel sluggish the next day because you didn’t get a good enough rest.

“Taking longer than 20 minutes to fall asleep could be a sign of stress, anxiety, or sleep issues such as onset insomnia that would need to be addressed,” Denise advises.

What affects sleep latency?

Your sleep latency can be affected from one night to another for a variety of reasons, including your lifestyle and habits. Here are the most common contributors.

Stress

“Stress and anxiety are often seen as primary contributors as they keep the mind active and prevent relaxation,” Denise explains.

“This then makes it more difficult to transition to sleep. You cannot force yourself to fall asleep, just as much as you cannot make yourself relax, so trying to fall asleep when your mind and body feels wired or on edge becomes very difficult.”

Alcohol and diet

While alcohol might help you to fall asleep faster, it also disrupts the quality of your sleep. For example, by reducing deep sleep stages and causing you to wake frequently through the night.

Eating a heavy meal close to bedtime can also disrupt your sleep cycles as well as cause digestive discomfort.

Be mindful of your caffeine intake too, Denise advises.

“Caffeine can affect your sleep quality, particularly when it is consumed late in the day. That’s because caffeine works by stimulating the brain so this makes it harder to wind down.”

Naps

A well-timed nap can be great for improving daytime alertness and mental performance but how long you rest for can directly affect your sleep latency.

Brief naps of around 20 minutes provide a focus boost without impacting on how quickly you fall asleep. But nap for any longer than this and you could find it takes more time to drift off.

Another consideration is the timing of your nap. Just after lunch or early afternoon is ideal as experts suggest any later than 3pm will affect your ability to sleep that night.

Sleep debt

Regularly not getting enough rest can lead to lost sleep accumulating over time and this can have a knock-on effect with your sleep latency. This happens when you sleep for less than normal for multiple nights in a row.

Typically, this starts with going to bed late and still having to get up early. Maintaining a regular sleep and wake routine and winding down before you retire to bed can help avoid sleep debt.