6 reasons why you can't fall asleep

Difficulties falling asleep are widespread and can have a variety of causes. We'll show you here why you're lying awake in the evening and can't fall asleep.

 Table of Contents:

1.  One in two people have trouble falling asleep
2. Six reasons why you can't fall asleep
3. More tips for problems falling asleep
4. Conclusion

1. One in two people have trouble falling asleep

"Why can't I just fall asleep?" – everyone has probably asked themselves this question at some point. The average time it takes for adults to fall asleep is between 5 and 20 minutes. If you regularly take longer to fall asleep, you could be having serious trouble falling asleep. There can be a variety of reasons why we don't get sleep. We will introduce you to the most common causes of problems falling asleep and show you a few very simple tips to ensure optimal conditions for falling asleep.

2. Six reasons why you can't fall asleep

#1 Too much sleep

It sounds strange at first, but it can really be a reason for difficulty falling asleep in the evening. Sleep is an important resting phase in which our body regenerates and energy reserves are replenished. If you use a lot of energy during the day or don't sleep enough, your body needs sleep more urgently and gets it by getting tired. But if you sleep more than enough or have already taken a long nap in the afternoon, your sleep needs may already be covered and you won't be really tired in the evening and won't be able to fall asleep.

➨ Tip: Regular sleep
Try to get enough sleep on a regular basis and, in the long term, neither sleep extremely little nor too much. If you don't get really tired in the evening, you shouldn't take naps during the day so that the sleep pressure increases in the evening and you can fall asleep better.

#2 Irregular sleep rhythm

You don't have a regular sleeping time, sometimes go to bed earlier or later in the evening and get up at different times in the morning? This really messes up your body's biorhythm and can mean that it isn't ready for sleep in the evening and you have problems getting to sleep.

➨ Tip: Fixed sleep rhythm
Establish a fixed sleep rhythm with regular sleep and wake times so that your internal clock can regulate itself and you become tired and sleepy at the right time in the evening. You can find tips here.

#3 Too much stress

Do you suffer from stress in everyday life, can't switch off in the evening and are you still in bed thinking about work or the to-dos for the next day? A high level of stress prevents you from relaxing and resting on a physical and mental level and in this way disrupts the process of falling asleep. The stress hormone cortisol interacts directly with the natural sleep hormone melatonin and has an activating effect, so that you are less tired and have a harder time falling asleep.

➨ Tip: Conscious relaxation and calm routines
Try to consciously relax in the evening and let go of your worries or problems. Take time for yourself and try to calm down. For example, breathing exercises, yoga, meditation, a warm bath or a calming tea can help.

#4 Unsuitable sleeping environment

The mattress is too hard, the pillow is too soft, it is icy cold in the bedroom and the street noise and the light from passing cars comes in through the windows from outside? The sleep environment has a decisive influence on the process of falling asleep. An uncomfortable bed, heat or cold, noise and bright lights are external stimuli that not only wake you up, but can also prevent you from falling asleep in the first place.

➨ Tip: Pleasant & sleep-promoting sleeping environment
The optimal bedroom is dark, quiet and slightly cooler. The mattress, pillow and duvet should be adapted to your individual needs so that you lie 100% comfortably and feel completely at ease.

#5 Inactive Lifestyle

Do you stay indoors all day because of your job and are little or not at all active in sports? Daylight is an important pacemaker for the internal clock and is needed in order to be able to produce enough sleep hormones in the evening. If you also move little and rarely do sports, your metabolism slows down, your health suffers and your sleep pressure is too low in the evening to fall asleep quickly.

➨ Tip: Active everyday life and lots of daylight
Try to organize your everyday life so that you consume enough daylight, are physically active and eat a balanced and healthy diet.

#6 Too much TV, smartphone, computer

Do you want to watch a series marathon until late in the evening or scroll through social media channels while lying in bed? Not the best idea if you want to fall asleep easily. The bright light, the many visual and emotional stimuli as well as exciting content activate the nervous system and prevent us from shutting down and falling asleep. And even though many people doze off in front of the TV, if you're tired you should go to bed and put your smartphone aside.

➨ Tip: Limit media consumption in the evening
Reduce the consumption of digital media before going to bed. Turn off your television, computer and tablet early and put your smartphone away.

3. Further tips for problems falling asleep

Almost everyone has problems falling asleep at some point in their life. In the sleep magazine you will find many more articles with helpful techniques that can help you fall asleep and help you sink into your well-deserved sleep. You can find more information here:

The best tips for falling asleep

Does music help you fall asleep?

The 6 best scents for falling asleep

Breathing exercises to help you fall asleep

4. Conclusion

• Difficulties falling asleep are widespread and are often due to too much stress, poor sleeping habits or a lack of relaxation.