Why You Can’t Fall Asleep: The Secret to Building Enough Sleep Pressure
I hear it all the time: “Doc, I lay down at night, but my brain won’t shut up.” Or, “I go to bed early, but I just toss and turn for hours.” Sound familiar?
If so, let me introduce you to something called sleep pressure.
Sleep pressure is your body’s built-in mechanism to make you want to sleep. It builds up the longer you’re awake and is mostly driven by a little compound called adenosine—a neurotransmitter that accumulates in your brain throughout the day. The longer you’re awake, the more adenosine builds up, and the sleepier you should feel. Simple, right?
But here’s the problem: if you don’t have enough wake time before bed, your sleep pressure isn’t strong enough.
You Can’t Trick Sleep Pressure
A lot of people think they can just force themselves to sleep earlier. Maybe you’re tired of being exhausted all day, so you decide to start going to bed at 9 p.m. instead of midnight. Sounds responsible, right?
Except…you lay there, wide awake. Because you haven’t been awake long enough.
If you’re an adult, you typically need about 16 hours of wake time to generate enough sleep pressure for an easy transition into sleep. If you wake up at 7 a.m. and try to sleep at 9 p.m., that’s only 14 hours. For some people, that’s just not enough. So, instead of falling asleep, you lie there staring at the ceiling, wondering why your brain is still running a marathon.
The Caffeine Sabotage
Now, let’s talk about caffeine. Caffeine works by blocking adenosine. That’s why it keeps you awake. But if you’re guzzling coffee in the afternoon (or, God forbid, evening), you’re essentially hitting pause on your sleep pressure. Even when the caffeine wears off, you don’t magically get that lost adenosine back. That’s why a late-afternoon espresso can wreck your sleep, even if you think you feel fine.
Fix Your Sleep Pressure for Good
So, what’s the fix? Simple:
- Give yourself enough wake time. If you want to go to bed at 10 p.m., don’t wake up at noon. Aim for at least 16 hours of wakefulness.
- Cut caffeine earlier in the day. I tell my patients to stop caffeine at least 6 hours before bed, ideally 10.
- Get bright light in the morning. Sunlight exposure early in the day helps your body regulate adenosine properly.
- Be consistent. Your sleep schedule should be regular—yes, even on weekends. If you constantly shift your wake-up time, your sleep pressure will be all over the place.
Build Sleep Pressure, Build Better Sleep
If you’re struggling to fall asleep, the problem might not be stress, blue light, or even bad sleep hygiene. It could just be that you haven’t been awake long enough.
And if you really want to optimize your sleep, make sure you’re giving your body the right tools to restore its natural sleep rhythm. That’s where Sleep Remedy comes in—helping your brain mimic the neurochemistry of natural sleep so you can finally get the rest you need.
Try it tonight. And in the meantime—stop trying to sleep when your body isn’t ready.
Sleep Remedy
CAPSULES
Doc Parsley’s Sleep Remedy is a natural sleep aid, formulated with a blend of calming nutrients to help you fall asleep faster and improve your sleep quality. Doctor-developed and recommended, it’s non-habit forming and safe for daily use.