Any amount of sleep is more valuable when you’re well hydrated.

So if you’re lying there thirsty, but worried that getting up might mean being unable to fall asleep for another hour, know that being well hydrated for 5 hours of sleep is worth more than being dehydrated for 6 hours of sleep.

Ear plugs and Benadryl

Close my eyes

Working shifts in the aviation industry and living in a city center that can be noisy, my best investment was sleeping earbuds named Bose sleepbuds (v2).

It’s just earbuds that you don’t feel and can sleep on your side without pain, they only play white noises.

Now I’m waiting for the Ozlo Sleep which are basically the v3 of the Bose sleepbuds.

Those things saved my sanity when working night shifts.

Exercise a lot (and get sunlight exposure) during the day.

Also, never watch movies, read, scroll on a phone, etc in bed. You want your brain to 100% associate being in the bed with sleeping, as soon as it happens

I’m usually out within 5-10 minutes now, since starting to follow those two things reliably

(edit: also, minimizing light exposure in the last couple of hours of your day is good)

edit 2: Forgot the most important thing of all, which is to keep a consistent sleep / wake time every day. Getting rid of all alcohol is great too, if you want actually-decent sleep

A weighted blanket.

Don’t get one too heavy though, I accidentally did and I gave myself sleep paralysis for a week or so. That was fun.

My husband has chronic PTSD related insomnia. Since he’s been prescribed cannabis, he’s been able to actually sleep better than with any of the harsh meds he’s been prescribed in the past.

Caveat: He was told it can interfere with REM, which in his case is good since it also helps with the nightmares, but it’s probably not good for regular use by the average person, or so we’ve been told by his provider. Ask your doctor, I guess.