People don't typically fall asleep immediately. If it takes someone 45 minutes to fall asleep and that's normal for them and they allow enough time, it's not necessarily a problem. Most people, if they don't have any sleep difficulties, probably fall asleep within 10 to 20 minutes. It's really both the body, as well as mind starting to relax and quiet down.Īnnie Zaleski: So how long does it generally take people to fall asleep? Is there a normal range or a typical range that you see?ĭr. Some people might identify themselves as more night owls and they don't get sleepy until much later, other people are more early, and so this internal rhythm influences when we start to feel sleepy as well. People know this as our circadian rhythm that also varies for people. So thinking about it in a simple term that we have a sleep drive that builds up the longer we're awake and so by the end of the day, that sleep drive or pressure for sleep is high, but we also have more of an internal sleep rhythm. Michelle Drerup: So there's something called the two-process model of sleep regulation. My research also falls in that line as well, in looking at the effectiveness of treatments, including both in person, one-on-one, as well as digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.Īnnie Zaleski: So walk us through what it's like when the body's falling asleep, what changes are happening that make us wind down the day?ĭr. I see patients who have sleep disorders and treat them with nonpharmacological interventions, so I see a lot of patients with insomnia. I'm Director of Behavioral Sleep Medicine here at the Cleveland Clinic Sleep Disorders Center. Michelle Drerup: Thank you for having me.Īnnie Zaleski: So I'd like to start off by having you tell us a little bit about your work here at Cleveland Clinic, what kind of research and clinical work do you do?ĭr. Drerup, thanks so much for being here.ĭr. Drerup is here to discuss why we have trouble sleeping, things we can use to make our bedtime routines smoother and easy lifestyle changes we can make today. At other times, our daily habits such as using our phones can have an impact on our shut-eye. So can certain sleep disorders which might impact your quality and amount of sleep. Stress and anxiety can make your ZZZ’s feel very far away. If you find that your brain starts revving up as soon as your head hits the pillow or your prone to tossing and turning at night, you're not alone. Michelle Drerup to discuss things you can do to fall asleep faster. I'm your host, Annie Zaleski, and today we're talking with sleep expert, Dr. This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your own physician.Īnnie Zaleski: Hello, and thank you for joining us for this episode of the Health Essentials podcast. This is the Health Essentials podcast, brought to you by Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Children's. We ask them tough intimate health questions so you get the answers you need. Speaker 1: There's so much health advice out there, lots of different voices and opinions, but who can you trust? Trust the experts, the world's brightest medical minds, our very own Cleveland Clinic experts.