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The Nuance
Why Are Some People So Good at Falling Asleep?
And if you’re not one of those people, what you can learn from them
The metaphor of “falling” asleep is a good one; it suggests a change from one state to another that is largely out of one’s control. While some people’s nightly tumble into sleep is quick and effortless, for others it can be frustratingly drawn-out.
Sleep experts refer to the transition from wakefulness to sleep as “sleep onset latency,” or SOL. And one of the most consistent findings from the SOL research is that people with sleeping issues like insomnia tend to overestimate the amount of time they require to drift off. A 1990 study from the American Psychological Association found that insomniacs believed that they took an average of 40 minutes to fall asleep, while EEG readings suggested that they actually fell asleep in 26 minutes. While exact time estimates have varied from one study to the next, this finding has been repeated over and over again in sleep experiments.
But the more scientists study sleep onset, the more they find evidence that it’s a dynamic and complicated process. A 2014 study in PLOS One found that as certain wake-associated patterns of brain activity switch off, other sleep-associated patterns switch on. But for some people who struggle to fall asleep at night, these events don’t coincide. It’s possible that while some people appear to be sleeping based on traditional EEG measurements, parts of their brain may still be active and preventing them from falling into a deep and restful slumber.
While science’s understanding of sleep onset is evolving, it’s clear that some people nod off easily while others struggle. Experts say the difference often comes down to helpful bedtime habits and proper conditioning — rather than some innate ability.
“You’ve got to tap the brakes and give yourself time to slow down before you turn in for the night.”
“People have looked at the genetics of being a good sleeper, but it’s spotty,” says Michael Grandner, an associate professor and director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Likewise, the…
