Adding my own ideas to this list based on my personal experience of what works and doesn't work... Some may be repeats from Robyn. I can probably come up with 50... but this is a start.
1. Get outside for at least 15 minutes of sunshine within 2 hours of the sun rising (highest red light concentration)
2. See the sunset for as many nights as possible
3. No caffeine past noon-- if do have a little in tea or dark chocolate may need L-Theanine to counteract it.
4. No TV or screen time within two hours of bedtime... If must use screens use blue light blockers (I like RA optics)
5. Have a few hours between last food of day and bedtime.
6. Have the same bedtime and wake time each day. Body likes rhythm and consistency.
7. Make sure dinner has adequate nutrients and protein/carb ratio... If you wakeup in middle of the night you may be hungry and having low blood sugar.
8. Keep the room cold. 65 degrees is great... Colder is even better. Chillipad is a way to run cold water underneath your top sheet and can go down to 55 degrees. Body likes to be cold and mimic the cooling of the earth surface after sunset.
9. Get a good mattress, pillows (down), and duvet (also down.) With how much time we spend in bed you need good linens
10. When traveling have a plan for adjusting to new circadian rhythm (Ben Greenfield has a great section of this in Boundless)
11. Stay away from things that rile you up before bed... Think poetry and motivational fiction and not intense thrillers
12. Have sex or have skin on skin contact such as a long hug or massage... Oxytocin release will help you sleep.
13. Wear loose fitting clothing and wear wool socks. Look up this study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10712296/
14. Keep the bedroom a sanctuary... No tv in bed, no work in bed, no fights in bed, sleep + sex in bed and nothing else... If you can't sleep after 30-40 minutes get out of bed and goto another spot until you can sleep.
Don't let the bedroom become a stressful place. It should be relaxing... You can also diffuse essential oils such as lavender to help with sleep onset.15. Breathwork/meditation/brainwave apps
I don't love technology in the bedroom, but there is brainwave apps that will help you get into the sleep brainwaves. Also breath work is great such as four breath in, seven count hold, eight count exhale through mouth and repeat 2-3 times... Sometimes that puts me right to sleep16. Counting sheep
this really works... puts brain into a difference place.17. tart cherry juice-- helps natural melatonin production and helps you stay asleep. 1OZ concentrate per day added to water after a week or two you'll see impact
18. Melatonin can help... So can magnesium... but try other things first.
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