Why sleep runs away when you chase it
Trying harder somehow makes it worse.
Pressure keeps the brain awake.
Sleep works best when the body and mind are allowed to drift into it. The moment sleep turns into a task to complete, the brain starts monitoring performance instead of relaxing into rest.
That pressure creates alertness. You begin checking the clock, measuring how awake you still feel, and judging yourself for not falling asleep fast enough. Ironically, that extra monitoring is exactly what keeps sleep further away.
This is why bedtime can feel frustrating on nights that matter more. The more importance you attach to sleeping well, the harder it becomes to stay mentally loose enough for sleep to arrive.