To find out how long it should take to fall asleep, we asked neuroscientist and author of Biohack Your Brain Kristen Willeumier, Ph.D. Falling asleep within 20 minutes of going to bed is a good sign your body and mind were ready to snooze, and you’re on your way to a night of deep, high-quality sleep. However, Willeumier notes that people shouldn’t get too caught up in hitting that 20-minute mark night after night. After all, stressing about falling asleep will usually end up keeping you awake longer. She adds that if you don’t get to sleep within 20 minutes, that doesn’t mean you’re not going to get good sound sleep. “If it takes you an hour to get to sleep, that’s OK. It’s not worth getting stressed about,” she says. “Most of the time, people aren’t sleeping because their mind is still spinning. So we have to find ways to calm that down, which is why I love magnesium,”* she explains. Magnesium is an essential mineral, and certain forms of it can help enhance sleep quality, support a healthy circadian rhythm, and promote a steady state of relaxation.* When you dim your lights, ideally you’ll also stop using electronics that emit stimulating blue light, like cellphones and laptops.
