CBS News – Ever doze off on the couch while watching the game or your favorite show, only to move to your bed and lie awake?
It’s a frustrating sleep phenomenon that has a psychological explanation.
Licensed psychologist Lisa Strauss told told “CBS Mornings Plus” there are a few reasons it can be difficult to get back to sleep after snoozing on the couch.
Why is it so hard to fall back asleep?
One reason is the effort it takes to make the transition from couch to bed.
“Standing up, moving to the bedroom, having the mind reengage, brings us to wakefulness very rapidly,” she said, noting that “falling asleep … can take 10 to 20 minutes under supportive conditions.
So there’s this temporal asymmetry between how quickly we come to wakefulness and how long it takes us to fall back to sleep.”
You can also get distracted with other things.
“People give themselves all kinds of responsibilities to fulfill,” she said. “People will let the dog out and back in again. They’ll be checking their email.”
Even some aspects of your bedtime routine can be more stimulating than you might have realized.
“Even those people whose main intention is just to get themselves to bed, they don’t make a mere pit stop in the bathroom,” Strauss said …
