I was once having a discussion with my psychotherapist about not having any contact with family members.
That old saying about 'you cant choose your family but you can choose your friends' He said that he didn't agree with that because we all deserve to have people in our lives who are respectful, supportive, trustful, that care about you and are attentive and adaptable. Just because they are family doesn't mean that we should accept them in our lives if they dont have at least some of the qualities I mentioned above.
I know were not talking about family members here but your other half should definitely have some/most of these qualities, after-all this is the person who we have chosen to be part of our lives, be intimate with, to love and that works both ways.
A phone call is an easy way to let you know not to wait up for him or when he will be home and is also a simple way of letting you know that he respects you, cares about you, that he can be trusted and hes being attentive by keeping in touch. Is that really too much to ask for from a loved one. Of course, the occasional slip up (falling asleep) is fine but if its happening regularly then I would suggest that it shows a lack of respect for your feelings and is not normal.