@liftrunbang: As a lifetime insomniac here’s some of the things I used over the years to help improve sleep time and quality. Eventually I was able to also add in Trazadone and along with this list really fixed my sleep 1. Fixed wake time (including weekends) So this became more important than I realized because it sets the anchor for the rest. Since I knew I did not like getting to sleep early I simply set a wake time and worked BACK from there to set this. You should too 2. Morning outdoor light So within an hour of waking get outside in natural sunlight. Try to get in 10-30 minutes to help set the clock for the evening. 3. Caffeine cut off time Half life is about 5-6 hours and can be longer in some people. That means caffeine at 4-5 PM is def still working you close to midnight. So check your caffeine intake and time to see if this needs to be changed. 4. Alcohol cut off time For people who like a glass of wine in the evenings or have a few drinks on the weekend or during the week, cut it off 4 hours before bed. It kills REM sleep. 5. Cold dark room, hot/warm shower a few hours before bed These are synergistic. You need a core temperature drop of about 1-2 celsius to start a solid deep sleep. Hot shower starts this because of the core temp drop soon after. Add in a room temp of about 60-65F and NO cracks of light coming into the room (this fragments sleep more than you realize) and you’re tapped in. 6. Match sleep time and awake time, and if you are awake GET UP Your bed is for sleep and sex. So treat it that way. If you’re asleep for 6 hours then get out of bed instead of lounging around in it. To add, if you’re awake then GET UP because you’re training your brain that the bed is also for wakefulness. 7. Phone down an hour before bed The blue light is NOT the issue. It’s arousal. Learn how to get your nervous system relaxed and calm so your brain can turn off. 8. Finish eating 2-3 hours before bed Food raises your core temp and also produces some possible acid reflux in the middle of the night.
