Sleep hygiene tips - the smallest things that help?

Okay, so like so many folk here, my sleep is terrible with anxiety about bed, nightmares, frequent awakening, over- and under-sleeping, etc. But I've been working on making it better, because there is such a connection between my sleep and my emotional state.

What are your tips, especially the weird ones that you can't google? I feel like I've been scraping the bottom of the barrel to try to find things that help, but even little things that give me a 1% edge to sleeping better are worth it at this point. I'm not looking for advice that involves consuming any substances (feel free to post if you want, but not my focus).

So far I have: made my bedroom calm and restful. Two white noise machines. Ear plugs when needed. Calming routine before bed (something calm like a sewing or knitting project for a bit with a cup of tea, brush teeth etc, gentle yoga, reading a boring book in bed for a few minutes before turning out the light). All the breathing and meditation exercises you can think of. Sleeping with a weighted blanket and stuffed animals. Lots of exercise early in the day so I'm actually tired by nightfall.

I try but am not always successful at: no blue light before bed, regular sleep schedule, getting up at the same time each day.

Sometimes I just feel like giving up because no matter what I do, my sleep is just terrible. But I'm trying. Any suggestions?

Standard sleep hygiene recommendations make it virtually impossible for me to sleep… so that’s my first tip/trick: if it works? It works. If it doesn’t? Doesn’t matter how much it works for anyone else, or doesn’t work for others.

As one contrary example amongst many?

- Bed in the MIDDLE of my living space. Not hidden away somewhere, or something I only interact with, when going to sleep. Front and center. Sat upon. Laid upon. Crawled over. Climbed over. Shrug. Just a thing. In my space. Not a destination. Not only “for” sleep. Yes. I do sleep on it. I also do virtually everything else in, on, around it. Putting my bed somewhere “else” & only used to sleep? Works if I’m on a horse, and camping. But not even when I’m living out of hotels. Much less have anything more stable.

Mt T suggested just getting in bed and getting "oriented" to being in bed for half an hour or so before bedtime.

IE: in bed, but not to sleep at first, just to be in the present, remind myself I'm in the present, and not to go to sleep thinking about the past....

Which works until I wake up with a cat sleeping near my feet. One of my cats likes sleeping near my feet and it freaks me out to wake up and not be able to move my feet. That's likely a whole other thing......

trying lavendar extract. look for 80 mg. of extract, not the 500 mg of cold macerated lavendar caps.
supposed to create lavendar burps, no show. We were hoping for lavendar gas too. reaching.
jury still out but maybe kinda working. 12 days in

One small thing that helped me more than expected was focusing on physical “micro-signals” that tell the body it’s safe to sleep. Beyond routine stuff, I noticed jaw/face tension, tongue posture, and even how I breathe when lying still can keep me slightly alert. I started doing a simple reset: unclench jaw, drop shoulders, slow nasal breathing for 2–3 minutes, and let my tongue rest naturally. It sounds minor, but it reduces that wired feeling before sleep and after night awakenings.

I also learned that sometimes sleep issues can be linked to unconscious grinding or clenching, which I didn’t realise until I looked into it more. Reading about dental sleep connections helped me understand it better. For me, knowing the physical side existed reduced anxiety about waking.

On top of that, I stopped aiming for perfect sleep habits and focused on consistency in tiny ways, like keeping the same wake-up time within an hour window. That alone made sleep feel less like a battle and more predictable over time.

I have had to take sleep meds for 30 years. A couple months ago I was able to stop and I am sleeping better than ever. I think my nervous system is finally starting to calm. I have been off sleep meds for 2 months now. If I can’t sleep I focus on my breathing. By doing this I don’t seek out something to dwell on and it helps.

Lost in the Woods said:

If I can’t sleep I focus on my breathing. By doing this I don’t seek out something to dwell on and it helps.

Click to expand...

I grab my e-reader and read - slowly. Brain gets bored, sleep follows.

But that's done in bed. I have been as my above post says 'orienting' to bed and bed time. Get in bed and read, watch sportsdesk, whatever until I'm tired.

I also have IOT (internet of things) lighting that dims and changes color so by 11 pm its lights out, if I dont turn them off before.

Terrible in what sense? No need to reply, but maybe it helps in getting some more focused answers. For example, is it more due to physical, or more due to mental stress, or both.

I basically do everything, always, with headphones on. For me, that works better than a white noise machine.
What about natural remedies? Not sure if you would consider those 'substances'. For me, lavender tea has a huge 'calm' effect. But tastes horrendous.

Edit: after reading Fridays' comment. Yeah I also shift my bed around when necessary. Sometimes sleep on a mat, sometimes air mat, sometimes I go to the forest. And I rotate which rooms I sleep in depending on what I'm feeling like.

Upside Down Eagle. I dont know if its more physical or mental stress but will share some thoughts. When we work hard enough physically, it usually leads to a good sleep. However, the body remembers things even when the mind forgets. IDK-but I have been waking up grinding my teeth this past week. My stress is not related to ptsd It stress about juggling overwhelming tasks with no help with a deadline. That is physically putting stress on my body but worse, evidently, is my mind. On topic---the only thing that I have found that helps my sleep is a hot bath half hour before with lavender epson salt. My muscles are so tight by bedtime. ( I also have physical reasons for chronic pain) Its no miracle but it does help relax me

Getting cold helps
And low lights
And cbd oil
Avoiding caffeine after lunch and sugary stuff after evening
Getting some exercise
And a non exciting but just interesting enough playlist on YouTube- interesting enough to keep my mind focused on what's being said instead of starting thinking