Eli5: Why cant we just signal to our brain when we want to fall asleep?

Question

When we lay down at night why our brain does not recognize it and make us fall asleep much easier? Interesting that we have control over so much things but not our own body.

In: 93

Answer 1

I used to be so frustrated by laying down and not being able to turn off whatever it was keeping me awake.

Then I tried lemborexant. For me, it’s a game changer.

It is an orexin agonist. Orexin is the hormone that wakes you up and makes you hungry. The new drug blocks the receptors that take it up.