We refer to this as ‘Sleep-Onset-Latency’ (SOL), the time it takes from intending to fall asleep to sleep onset. Normal mean adult sleep latency is between 10-20 minutes.
A common factor of sleep latency greater than 20 minutes is anxiety. Studies have shown up to 90% of anxious or depressed people have some form of sleep disorder such as SOL. The famous author Charlotte Bronte relates a “ruffled mind makes for a restless pillow”. We work to reduce an overactive mind to a relaxed mind ready for sleep in CBT-I.
