Can't fall asleep? What to do tonight, and tomorrow
If you can't fall asleep, stop trying. Lie still and let your mind wander for a while; if you're still awake after what feels like about 20 minutes, get up, go to a dim room and do something quiet and dull until you feel sleepy, then go back to bed. Tomorrow, get up at your usual time however the night went: that is what makes the next night easier.
That's the short version of stimulus control, one of the most tested habit methods for insomnia. Below: what to do right now, step by step; why you can't fall asleep (a table of the common causes and their fixes); how long falling asleep should take; what to change during the day; the mistakes that make it worse; a 2-week plan; and when to see a doctor.
What to do right now when you can't fall asleep
- Turn the clock away. Checking the time starts the maths ("if I fall asleep now I'll get 4 hours"), and the maths wakes you up. Put the phone out of reach, face down.
- Stop trying to sleep. Sleep is the one thing effort makes worse: trying hard raises your heart rate and alertness. Aim for rest instead. Lying quietly with your eyes closed is still rest.
- Give your mind something boring to do. Slow breathing (in for about 4 seconds, out for about 6), relaxing each muscle group from your feet up, or picturing a calm, detailed walk you know well. These are relaxation methods used in CBT for insomnia; they don't force sleep, they lower the alertness that blocks it.
- If you're still awake after about 20 minutes, get up. Don't time it; when you notice you're frustrated or wide awake, that's the cue. Go to another room, keep the lights low.
- Do something quiet and unexciting. A paper book you've read before, folding laundry, a jigsaw, gentle stretching, listening to a calm audio. Not work, not email, not the news, not a gripping series.
- Go back to bed only when you feel sleepy: eyes heavy, head nodding, reading the same line twice. Not just tired.
- Repeat if needed. Some nights you'll get up two or three times. That's the method working, not failing.
- Get up at your usual time in the morning. No lie-in to "catch up". The sleep pressure you build today is what helps tonight.
Why get up? After weeks of lying awake, the bed itself can become a cue for being alert. Many people doze off on the sofa, then feel wide awake the second their head hits the pillow. Getting up each time you're awake teaches your brain again that bed means sleep. The method was described by Richard Bootzin in 1972, and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's 2021 guideline recommends it for chronic insomnia.
15, 20 or 30 minutes: how long before you get up?
Different guides give different numbers. Some say 15–20 minutes, the Sleep Foundation says about 20, and WebMD says stay up at least 30 minutes once you're out of bed. Those are two different clocks: how long you lie awake before getting up, and how long you stay up. The clinic protocols that teach stimulus control (the University of Pennsylvania's behavioral sleep medicine handout is one) agree on the part that matters: don't watch a clock at all. Get up when you notice you're wide awake or frustrated, and go back when you're sleepy, however long that takes. If you need a number to start with, use "about 20 minutes, by feel".
A mind that won't stop: try a "cognitive shuffle"
If your thoughts are racing about tomorrow, give your mind a job that leads nowhere. Pick a calm word, such as bedtime. For each letter, picture as many unrelated things as you can that start with it: b: bread, a bicycle, a beach ball, a bus stop. When you run out, move on to e. Random, unconnected pictures are close to what the mind does as it drifts off, and they crowd out worry. The method comes from Luc Beaudoin, a cognitive scientist at Simon Fraser University. Evidence so far is early: one small study of students, presented at the SLEEP 2016 meeting, found it lowered alertness before sleep. It costs nothing to try. For more tools, and which one fits which kind of thought, see what to do when your brain won't shut off at bedtime.
Things to do out of bed (and to skip)
| Good | Skip |
|---|---|
| Read a familiar paper book in dim light | Scrolling social media or news |
| Fold laundry, sort a drawer, a simple puzzle | Work email or planning tomorrow in detail |
| Gentle stretching, slow breathing | Exercise hard enough to get warm |
| Listen to a calm talk or audio you know | A new series or a thriller |
| Write the thoughts going round your head on paper | Eating a big snack, coffee, alcohol |
| A warm, non-caffeinated drink | Bright overhead lights |
Why can't I fall asleep? The common causes
Not falling asleep almost always comes from one or more of these. Find yours and the fix follows.
| Cause | Signs | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Not enough sleep pressure | You napped, dozed in the evening, slept in, or go to bed early "to make up for it" | No naps, fixed wake time, go to bed later and only when sleepy |
| Body clock set late | You're never sleepy before 1 a.m., and sleep well if you can sleep until 9 | Same wake time daily, bright light soon after waking, dim lights in the evening |
| Racing mind or worry | Replaying the day, planning tomorrow, worrying about not sleeping | A "worry time" early in the evening, writing a to-do list before bed, relaxation, getting up when it starts |
| Bed has become a cue to be awake | Sleepy on the sofa, alert in bed; sleep better in hotels or the spare room | Stimulus control: bed for sleep only, get up when awake |
| Caffeine | Coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks or pre-workout after lunch | Stop caffeine at least 6 hours before bed, earlier if you're sensitive |
| Alcohol | A drink or two "to relax", then light, broken sleep later | Fewer drinks, finished earlier in the evening |
| Screens and light | Phone in bed, bright room until bedtime | Phone out of the bedroom, lights down an hour before bed |
| Too hot | Kicking off the covers, hot flushes | A cooler room, lighter bedding, layers you can remove |
| Body or medical causes | Restless or crawling legs, pain, reflux, needing to pee, hot flushes, new medicine | See a doctor: these have their own treatments |
On caffeine: a 2013 study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (Drake and colleagues) gave people a strong dose of caffeine (400 mg, about two large coffees) 0, 3 or 6 hours before bed. Even at 6 hours before bed, it cut sleep by about an hour. On screens: the research is mixed on how much the light itself matters. What is clearer is that an engaging phone keeps you up later and keeps your mind busy, so the advice is the same either way.
Tired but can't fall asleep
Feeling exhausted but wired at bedtime is common. Tired (drained, low energy) and sleepy (eyes closing, nodding off) are different states. Stress hormones and worry can keep you alert even when you're drained, and long hours in bed can mean low sleep pressure at the time you lie down. The fixes in the table above still apply: go to bed when sleepy, not tired, and keep the wake time fixed. Our full guide on why you can't fall asleep even when you're tired explains sleep pressure, the evening "second wind" and a 2-week plan.
How long should it take to fall asleep?
For most healthy adults, around 10 to 20 minutes. Taking more than about 30 minutes, on most nights, is the line insomnia research commonly uses for trouble falling asleep. Falling asleep within a few minutes every time isn't a gift either: it often means you're short of sleep.
If you're asking because it takes you an hour or more most nights, you're not alone: CDC data for 2024 found that 15.4% of US adults (18.5% of women) had trouble falling asleep most days or every day.
What to do tomorrow so tonight is easier
Most of the fix for falling asleep happens in the day, not in bed.
- Keep one wake-up time, 7 days a week. This is the strongest single signal for your body clock. A weekend lie-in of 2 hours shifts your clock as if you'd flown east, and Sunday night gets harder.
- Get outside light in the first hour. Daylight in the morning helps set an earlier, steadier sleepiness in the evening. Even a cloudy morning is far brighter than indoor light.
- Skip naps while you're fixing your sleep. If you must, keep it under 20 to 30 minutes and before mid-afternoon.
- Move in the day. Regular activity is linked with falling asleep faster. Hard exercise late at night bothers some people; notice whether it does you.
- Have a caffeine cut-off: at least 6 hours before bed. For an 11 p.m. bedtime, that's 5 p.m. at the latest, and noon or 2 p.m. is safer.
- Do "worry time" early in the evening. Spend 15 minutes writing down what's on your mind and one next step for each, then close the notebook. This "constructive worry" exercise (Carney and Waters, 2006) is used in CBT for insomnia so the worries don't wait for the dark.
- Make a 30 to 60 minute wind-down before bed: lights lower, screens off or far away, something calm you enjoy. It's a buffer between your day and your bed. Our bedtime routine for adults gives a timed version you can copy.
Mistakes that make falling asleep harder
- Going to bed earlier to get more sleep. It feels logical, but it means more time lying awake, which teaches your brain the bed is for waiting. Go to bed later, when sleepy.
- Lying there for hours. Staying in bed "resting" while frustrated is the habit that keeps insomnia going.
- Sleeping in after a bad night. It feels like recovery but takes away the sleep pressure you need for the next night.
- A nightcap. Alcohol can help you drop off, but it breaks up sleep in the second half of the night.
- Turning to sleep aids from the pharmacy. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine's 2017 guideline suggests against using diphenhydramine (the antihistamine in many "PM" products) or melatonin as treatments for chronic insomnia in adults, because the evidence that they help is weak. Melatonin can have a role for body-clock problems and jet lag; ask a pharmacist or doctor.
- Collecting tips. Sleep hygiene tips are useful, but the same guideline says they don't work as a treatment on their own. The habits that do (a fixed wake time, getting up when awake, matching time in bed to sleep) take a few weeks of doing them every day.
A 2-week plan for when you can't fall asleep
| Days | What to do |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Pick your wake-up time for every day. Set the alarm. Move the phone charger out of the bedroom. |
| Days 1 to 14, mornings | Get up at the alarm. Daylight within an hour. Write down roughly when you got into bed, how long it took to fall asleep, time awake and when you got up. |
| Days 1 to 14, afternoons | Last caffeine 6+ hours before bed. No naps. |
| Days 1 to 14, evenings | 15 minutes of worry time after dinner. Lights down and wind-down for the last hour. Bed only when sleepy. |
| Days 1 to 14, nights | Clock turned away. Awake for about 20 minutes or frustrated: get up, dim room, quiet activity, back when sleepy. |
| Day 7 | Look at the diary. If you're in bed far longer than you sleep (say 8 hours in bed for 6 asleep), move your bedtime later so time in bed is closer to time asleep. |
| Day 14 | Compare week 2 with week 1: how long to fall asleep, how often you got up. If there's no change, read the guide on the next step below, or talk to a doctor. |
The day 7 step is a gentle form of sleep restriction for insomnia, the CBT-I method that matches your time in bed to the sleep you actually get. Our guide explains the full steps, the weekly rules and who should only do it with a clinician. If you'd rather not do the arithmetic, our 2-minute sleep quiz works out your minutes awake in bed and a starting sleep window from your answers.
What if I wake up and then can't fall back asleep?
The same rules apply in the middle of the night: no clock, no effort, get up if you're awake and frustrated, back when sleepy. Waking in the early hours has some of its own causes, like alcohol, a full bladder and lighter sleep late in the night. Our guide on waking up at 3 a.m. and not getting back to sleep goes through them, and how to stop waking up at night has a table of causes and a 2-week plan.
When to see a doctor
See a doctor or nurse if:
- You've had trouble sleeping at least 3 nights a week for 3 months or more and it's affecting your days. That's the usual definition of chronic insomnia, and the first-line treatment recommended by the American College of Physicians is CBT for insomnia, which your doctor can refer you to.
- Your legs feel restless, crawly or jumpy in the evening and moving them helps (restless legs syndrome has its own treatment).
- You snore loudly, someone has seen you stop breathing, or you're very sleepy in the day.
- Low mood, anxiety, pain, reflux, hot flushes or needing to pee at night are part of it.
- You started a new medicine around when the trouble began. Some medicines, including some for blood pressure, asthma, mood and colds, can affect sleep.
- You're relying on sleeping pills, alcohol or over-the-counter aids most nights, or want to stop them.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to lie in bed resting or get up?
If you're calm and drifting, stay. If you're frustrated, alert or have been awake for what feels like about 20 minutes, get up. Lying awake and frustrated is what links the bed with being awake.
Should I stay up all night if I can't fall asleep?
No. Pulling an all-nighter usually leads to a long nap or an early night, which throws the schedule off again. Go back to bed when sleepy, and get up at your normal time. If your bedtime has drifted late, here is how to fix your sleep schedule in small steps.
Does reading in bed help you fall asleep?
For good sleepers it's harmless. If you have trouble falling asleep, read out of bed in dim light and get into bed once you're sleepy, so the bed stays linked with sleep.
Does melatonin help if I can't fall asleep?
For chronic insomnia, the evidence is weak, and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests against it as a treatment. It's more useful for a late body clock or jet lag. Ask a pharmacist or doctor before taking it, especially with other medicines.
What's the 10-3-2-1-0 rule?
It's a popular rule of thumb: no caffeine 10 hours before bed, no food or alcohol 3 hours before, no work 2 hours before, no screens 1 hour before, and zero snoozes in the morning. It isn't a clinical method, but each part lines up with standard advice.
How many nights before it gets better?
Some people fall asleep faster within a week of keeping a fixed wake time and getting up when awake. For long-running insomnia, CBT-I programs usually take 6 to 8 weeks.
Tonight
Turn the clock away, stop trying, and get up if you're still awake and frustrated. Set one wake-up time for tomorrow and keep it. To see your own numbers and where a plan would start, take the free sleep quiz. More on night waking, schedules and the methods behind them: all our sleep guides.
Sources: Bootzin RR, Stimulus control treatment for insomnia, Proceedings of the American Psychological Association, 1972. Edinger JD et al., Behavioral and psychological treatments for chronic insomnia disorder in adults, American Academy of Sleep Medicine guideline, Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2021. Sateia MJ et al., Clinical practice guideline for the pharmacologic treatment of chronic insomnia in adults, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2017. Qaseem A et al., Management of chronic insomnia disorder in adults, American College of Physicians, Annals of Internal Medicine, 2016. Drake C et al., Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed, Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2013. Carney CE, Waters WF, Effects of a structured problem-solving procedure on pre-sleep cognitive arousal in college students with insomnia, Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 2006. Ebrahim IO et al., Alcohol and sleep I: effects on normal sleep, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 2013. Beaudoin LP, Digdon N, Serial diverse imagining (cognitive shuffle) and pre-sleep arousal, SLEEP 2016 abstract. University of Pennsylvania Behavioral Sleep Medicine, Stimulus control protocol (patient handout). Sleep Foundation, What to do when you can't sleep, updated 2026. WebMD, Can't sleep? When to just get out of bed. CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Short sleep duration and sleep difficulties among adults: United States, 2024, Data Brief 559, 2026. This guide is education, not medical advice.