Why is it so much easier to fall asleep on the couch unintentionally than to fall asleep in bed intentionally?
In: Biology
It comes down to your brain and body getting mixed signals. Although you may want to stay awake, and you tell yourself it’s REALLY important, your body and brain are still getting indications that you are *comfortable*, *safe*, and *tired*: signals which make you want to sleep. Likewise, although you tell yourself that you NEED to fall asleep, the tension in your body and the stress on your mind are telling you to stay awake.
The bottom line is that your brain and body weren’t evolved to recognize homework or driving as vital to your survival, but they do recognize pain and stress. Compared to our natural habitat, our modern sedentary lifestyle is ALWAYS comfortable, but that also means we have a hard time recognizing our beds as comfortable as opposed to anything else.
Focused attention though, acts like something of a cheat code for these signals. So when you focus on something, your brain is able to suppress the other thoughts and sensations in order to ignore them. This makes it easier to fall asleep. So that’s why you fall asleep trying to do homework or drive, and it’s also why they say to “count sheep” to fall asleep.
If you’re trying to fall asleep and can’t do it, it’s because your mind isn’t focused, and is wandering freely through thoughts and sensations that (whether you are conscious of it or not) are acting as signals to stay awake. Counting sheep is actually a really clever combination of two things: counting, which requires mental focus, and sheep, which visualizes a harmless (safe) image. Thus triggering focus without stress.
But of course, this only works if you are comfortable, safe, and tired. Severe discomfort, pain, or stress will make this very difficult. In those cases you may need medicine, a warm bath, stretching, soothing music, or even medical or therapeutic treatment.
As for staying awake, there are stimulants, slapping or pinching yourself, or stopping to do exercise. Personally I find getting angry helps.
Routine helps immensely both directions. It helps create signals to differentiate between when you should be wakeful and sleepy in an otherwise confusing world.
Latest Answers