My Macbook Pro 2010 Takes 45 Seconds To Have The Sleep Blinking Light

Hello guys,

I remember not having this sleep issue initially, normally the blinking light would come on in 5-10 seconds. But when I close my Mac (the screen does shut off right away if I put it in sleep mode) it seems that my hard drive is running still for another minute (roughly). I close my Mac when I leave class and need it to sleep fast as I put it in my backpack. Any tips guys? I appreciate all of your help and input in advance.