- better mattress and pillows
- sleep tracker
- supplements or substances like melatonin or cannabis (or lack thereof such as alcohol and caffeine)
- lack of screen use at night
- red light filters
- CPAP machines or mouthpieces
- napping (or not napping)
- diet and exercise
which are all well and good. But the number one biggest contributor for me has been to just fucking sleep at the same time every night.
I used to wildly swing my sleep times either by staying up doing work or having fun watching movies and playing games, then I'd be very tired the next day and sleeping early, only to wake up early again. Sometimes I'd just stay up all night as my sleep time was wholly shifted a full 12 hours.
Once I started sleeping (or even just getting into bed) at the same time every night, everything fixed itself.
I’ve had excellent success doing the exact opposite. I get up at the same time every morning: 4:30AM (have been doing this for a decade now). I want to be asleep within 5 minutes of laying down in bed. If that’s not possible, I stay awake until it is.
I usually go to sleep between 9 and 9:30PM. Every once in a while I stay up until 11 or 12 or fall fast asleep at 8. Once every few months I’ll sleep in until 7:30AM.
The biggest advantage to me is that I’ve made no other lifestyle changes. I’ll drink a coffee at 4PM, have an awful cheap bed, use screens until I’m ready to sleep, don’t need any substances to fall asleep, etc. I just sleep when I’m tired.
1. Looking at natural light first thing in the morning.
2. At 9-10pm, turning off all overhead lights and using a usb-charging lantern. I usually call family at this hour.
Both habits inspired by Prof. Andrew Huberman. https://youtu.be/nm1TxQj9IsQ
He would suggest free running sleep or alternatively biphasic sleep (a siesta about 7 hours after rising).
To add to others and clarify a couple things I know:
1. Magnesium L-threonate really improves sleep quality for me. Other types don’t work as well, including sucrosomial magnesium.
2. Melatonin’s benefits peak around 300mcg in most people, almost all off the shelf supplements are too large. Taking too much can hurt sleep architecture, cause nightmares, cause depression.
3. Circadian rhythm is slightly longer than 24 hours. Employing zeitgebers (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeitgeber) to entrain a more regular rhythm helps: exercise, social interaction, and (for me) a light lamp or time outdoors (since I get seasonal affective disorder in the winter).
4. I occasionally use supplements like Lemon balm or Magnolia bark if I’m particularly stressed before sleep, since they encourage some level of relaxation without negatively affecting sleep architecture. I think a lot of people equate sleep quality with low sleep latency, but both alcohol and marijuana, despite moving you to sleep quicker, negatively affect sleep architecture.
I think I have a pretty great sleep routine, as I haven’t awakened to an alarm in like 10 years.
When I feel hungry after dinner, drink water. Late hunger is often the brains cry for food to keep you awake. Usually within 30 minutes I am sleepy.
Going to bed early, so I do not have to use the alarm to wake up. So I write stuff down that I need to do, and if I am up early I do those things, verses pushing to stay up and do them.
Outside of that - removing caffeine has had a substantial effect as well. I used to drink caffeinated diet soda even up to bed time before. It didn't always keep me awake or have much effect but removing it made it clear that it improved my sleep to some degree. But more importantly - it made it easier for me to get out of bed in the morning. When I get up in the morning - it doesn't take me an hour to just boot up. I'm usually more "awake" immediately and I think I can attribute that to little to no caffeine intake.
I do think things like good diet and exercise and other such stuff does help too. But less stress and no caffeine have been very noticeable improvements. I avoid caffeinated drinks now as much as possible. It does mean getting that caffeine free soda is pretty difficult but it can be done!
https://www.cibdol.com/cbd-supplements/meladol
I originally got it from Zamnesia in the Netherlands, but they stopped selling it under their own brand in 2019 or so, but it was clear this was the same product.
It cured my night terrors and broken sleep, which was enough to get me settled enough over 6 months to establish a 8pm / 5am bed routine. I still take it today, even with better sleep patterns, and it’s part of a ritual before bed.
Downsides: tastes like ditch water might, consider it an acquired taste.
For reference, my mouthpiece cost me around 750 Euros (In 2016) and it was bought in the Netherlands from https://www.snurken.org/
Joe Rogan was talking about it in one of his podcasts too.
Lots of downsides to these drugs. DYOR.
Apart from that give up alcohol. Wear an eye mask. Stop eating 6pm.
In my experience caffeine is less of a problem.
None of this necessarily applies to you as you have a different body to me.
- Noise level at night - Cool 65-72 degree room - Weighted blanket
Noise level at night is absolutely critical. If you aren't sure, get an app to measure at night. If you live by a road and your windows aren't absolutely sound proof, you are definitely getting poor sleep from the noise.
If your room isn't silent at night, make long term plans and move.
It's the ScanWatch from Withings - they have cheaper models too, and probably any other smart watch will work although I am not sure their app is compatible.
I enjoy my own blanket, my own pillow and at least 90cm of room where I can turn and move as much as I want!
Distraction from pointless things that constantly linger in my head and cause stress also helps.
So now I sleep terribly.
Keep things simple and lindy.
Improving my nutritional status.