There are a bunch of reasons you might be struggling to sleep:

1. Your circadian rhythm is cooked
2. You have an overactive mind when trying to sleep
3. You can’t get enough oxygen while sleeping (apnea)
4. You constantly need to get up and pee
5. You have noisy neighbours
6. You drink too much coffee

In this article I will unpack and suggest fixes for each issue. If you think I've missed something I'd be keen for you to let me know in the comments bellow.

Combined these tools constitute a crazy persons bedtime ritual so I don't suggest you try all of these things. Rather it would be best to pick and choose interventions which address your specific sleep struggles.

1. Cooked Rhythm

Most people don’t realise that sleep hygiene starts as soon as you wake up. Your morning routine plays just as large a role in regulating sleep as your bedtime routine.

Your circadian rhythm is set by specialised cells in the retina called ipRGCs. These cells connect directly to the brain’s master clock (the suprachiasmatic nucleus) and are particularly sensitive to bright, blue-enriched outdoor light. When activated in the morning, they help reinforce your natural cortisol rise, increase alertness, align metabolic timing, and begin the timer for evening melatonin release.

This is why 20–30 minutes of outdoor light within the first hour after waking is a reliable way to stabilise your rhythm. Cloud cover doesn’t matter much; outdoor light is still far brighter than anything indoors. Morning light also helps suppress leftover melatonin, which is why going outside tends to reduce morning grogginess.

These same retinal cells also respond to the changes that occur around sunset. As daylight shifts from blue to orange/red and overall brightness drops, the circadian system receives a signal that the day is ending. This makes the system less sensitive to the artificial light you’re likely to encounter later in the evening.

For this reason, spending about 20 minutes outside around sundown can help reinforce evening circadian cues.

Consistency matters as well. The circadian system functions best when the timing of these light exposures is relatively stable from day to day, and when you go to bed at roughly the same time each night. The exact wake-up time is less critical.

Light isn’t the only relevant signal. Food timing also interacts with your circadian system. Eating large meals immediately before bed can be disruptive, while keeping meals at consistent times each day tends to support a more stable rhythm.

Key Actions

• 20–30 minutes of outdoor light within an hour of waking
• ~20 minutes of outdoor light around sunset
• Keep these times reasonably consistent
• Limit bright artificial light in the 2 hours before bed
• Keep meal timing relatively stable
• Avoid heavy meals immediately before sleep

2. Overactive Mind

Difficulty falling asleep often comes from a combination of excessive stimulation in the evening, inadequate wind-down habits, and not giving your mind enough space to settle.

In the two hours before bed, activities such as watching TV, scrolling social media, gaming, or engaging in intense conversations tend to keep the brain in a heightened state of alertness. Much of modern digital entertainment is designed to be attention-grabbing, and consuming it late in the day can leave your brain expecting further stimulation at the exact time you want the opposite.

A more helpful approach is to reduce stimulation gradually. Turning off devices 1–2 hours before bed, doing the usual pre-sleep routine (brushing teeth, shower, etc.), stretching briefly, and reading something light — fiction works well — can all support the transition toward sleep. In my case, I rarely get through more than a page or two before feeling drowsy.

If thoughts are still active

Below are strategies that have helped me when my mind continues to race:

1. Get out of bed

If you find yourself lying awake, move to another room and read until you feel sleepy again. Returning to bed at that point helps prevent forming an association between the bed and struggling to fall asleep.

2. Cool your body

A drop in core body temperature of about 0.5°C supports sleep onset. Opening a window, lowering the room temperature, or using a fan can help. A hot shower may also assist by warming the skin, prompting vasodilation, and then allowing the body to lose heat more efficiently afterward.

3. Write things down

When I am preoccupied with tasks or responsibilities, writing them out — what needs doing, how long it might take, and roughly when I’ll do it — usually settles the mental noise. For more emotional concerns, writing still helps by externalising the thoughts rather than continually turning them over mentally. If possible, avoid using a phone for this, as it often introduces new stimulation.

4. Supplements (optional)

I’m not heavily supplement-focused, but there are times when targeted use can be helpful. During periods of poor sleep, I’ve had good results with:

• 50 mg Apigenin
• 145–200 mg Magnesium L-Threonate
• 200–600 mg L-Theanine

It’s best to start at the low end and adjust as needed. Higher amounts of L-Theanine made me groggy the next morning.

A brief explanation of each:

Apigenin
A compound found in chamomile. It interacts with GABA-A receptors, promoting a mild calming effect without sedation.

L-Theanine
An amino acid from green tea. It crosses the blood–brain barrier and slightly increases GABA, serotonin, and dopamine, while reducing excitatory signalling. The result is a quieter mind without feeling drugged.

Magnesium L-Threonate
A form of magnesium that effectively enters the brain. Magnesium naturally dampens excessive neuronal firing by blocking NMDA receptors, which can help with overstimulation at night.

Combined effect
Apigenin tends to relax the body, Theanine the mind, and Magnesium L-Threonate the underlying neural activity. Together they promote a general sense of readiness for sleep rather than forcing unconsciousness.

These should not be treated as sleeping pills. They work best when taken 30–60 minutes before bed as part of an overall wind-down routine. Once sleep improves, it’s worth reducing or stopping them; the aim is to restore normal sleep patterns, not rely on supplements indefinitely.

3. Oxygen (Apnea & nasal breathing)

This was a personal issue for me. I have relatively narrow nasal passages, and for years I found it difficult to breathe through my nose at night. This led to dry mouth, disrupted sleep, and occasional apnea. I eventually realised that this was something I could improve through training rather than medication or surgery. It may sound unconvincing at first, but there is a sound physiological basis for it.

Why nasal breathing matters

Humans are physiologically designed to breathe through the nose as the default mode. Nasal breathing:

• humidifies and warms incoming air
• filters particles and allergens
• increases nitric oxide production, which supports oxygen uptake
• helps position the tongue and soft palate in a way that reduces airway collapse

Mouth breathing functions more as a backup mechanism, useful during heavy exertion or illness, but not ideal as a long-term pattern during sleep.

How I retrained my airway

I did not use medication or pursue surgical options. The improvements came from training the muscles involved in airway stability and improving tolerance for nasal breathing.

The steps that helped were:

1. Low-intensity cardio while nose-breathing only

This gradually strengthens the nasal dilator muscles and increases comfort with nasal airflow. It also improves CO₂ tolerance, which reduces the urge to switch to mouth breathing.

2. Mouth taping at night

This is only suitable for people who can already breathe through their nose. When used appropriately, it encourages nasal breathing during sleep, reduces snoring, and prevents waking with a dry mouth. It should be avoided if nasal obstruction is significant.

3. Nasal strips

These mechanically widen the nasal passages and reduce airflow resistance. They are commonly recommended by ENT specialists, used in sleep laboratories, and are supported by evidence in mild snoring or airflow limitation.

4. Consistency

Using the above approaches consistently led to noticeable improvements. Over time, the musculature supporting my airway adapted, and I found I no longer needed mouth tape or nasal strips.

Is this effect unique to me?

No. There is an established field known as myofunctional therapy, which focuses on strengthening the tongue, soft palate, and other muscles that maintain airway openness during sleep. This approach has clinical support, particularly for mild forms of sleep apnea.

A note on weight

If you are overweight, airway collapse during sleep becomes more likely due to increased tissue volume in the neck, tongue, and surrounding structures. This is one of the more subtle and serious consequences of excess weight. In such cases, nasal breathing training can help, but it cannot fully compensate for anatomical narrowing caused by adipose tissue.

Sleep apnea is common and has significant effects on sleep quality, cognitive function, hormonal regulation, and cardiovascular health. It is worth addressing directly rather than dismissing as simple snoring.

4. Needing to Pee

Night-time waking to urinate (nocturia) is more common in women and older adults, so I won’t assume my experience generalises to everyone. But there are a two common causes and practical adjustments that can help.

Drinking too close to bedtime

The simplest factor is fluid intake in the evening. Drinking large amounts of water (or tea, or anything diuretic) shortly before bed increases the likelihood of waking up later.

A straightforward approach is to stop drinking about two hours before sleep, and if you are thirsty, limit it to small sips rather than full glasses.

Bladder control

Some people wake to urinate because their bladder capacity or signalling thresholds are lower than usual. I improved mine by occasionally delaying urination during the day (within reasonable limits) which helped increase my tolerance. This won’t work for everyone, and for many women and older adults, pelvic floor exercises (or physiotherapy) are a more reliable method. In certain cases, medical assessment is warranted.

Nocturia can also be affected by factors such as medications, caffeine intake, fluid retention that redistributes when lying down, and certain health conditions, so it’s worth considering the broader context if the issue persists.

5. Noisy Neighbours

Noise from neighbours is difficult to manage because the options are limited. In most cases, there are really only two approaches: communicate or move.

If you choose to communicate, it usually helps to assume the other person is unaware of the problem. Most people do not realise how far sound travels or how thin walls can be. A respectful conversation is generally the most effective starting point. It can help to explain:

• what time you usually go to bed
• which specific noises are disruptive
• whether the issue is occasional or frequent
• and whether you can have their phone number for a quick message if it happens again

I’ve seen this work in practice. My girlfriend’s family had a neighbour whose dog (a.k.a Muttley) would bark throughout the night. The situation only improved after her brother repeatedly texted the owner and eventually I think the dog was moved. Not every case resolves neatly, but addressing it directly is usually the most realistic option.

6. Drinking Too Much Coffee

Hot take: coffee is overrated. It is widely consumed, and many people consider it part of their identity or daily routine. However, from a biological perspective its effects are mostly misunderstood.

What caffeine actually does

Caffeine does not create energy or sharpen the mind in the way people often assume. Its primary action is to block adenosine, a molecule that signals fatigue. This does not increase alertness so much as temporarily remove the sensation of tiredness.

Because adenosine signalling is blocked, the brain compensates by:

• increasing the number of adenosine receptors
• producing more adenosine overall

This adaptation is what we call tolerance. Over time, regular coffee drinkers no longer experience a genuine boost; they simply return themselves to their baseline state after overnight withdrawal.

Morning coffee and withdrawal

For daily coffee drinkers, waking up tired is often the result of overnight caffeine withdrawal. The feeling that coffee is needed to “start the day” usually reflects the upregulated adenosine system rather than a true lack of energy. The first cup of coffee removes withdrawal symptoms rather than providing new alertness.

Impact on sleep

Caffeine has a half-life of around 5–6 hours in most people, and in some it can be significantly longer. Even if you do not feel stimulated, residual caffeine can:

• reduce slow-wave (deep) sleep
• delay REM sleep
• increase nighttime awakenings
• elevate cortisol at night
• generally make sleep more fragmented

These effects can occur even when caffeine is consumed earlier in the day.

Tolerance reset

Caffeine tolerance does not reset quickly. It usually takes 7–14 days without caffeine for:

• adenosine receptor density to return toward baseline
• sleep depth to improve
• morning alertness to stabilise without chemical assistance

Until then, the perceived “boost” from caffeine mainly reflects recovery from previous suppression.

My approach

I enjoy the taste of coffee as a treat on holidays or a day off, but I don’t drink it daily. I prefer not to rely on a substance to feel mentally alert, and I find that my baseline cognitive clarity is better without routine caffeine.

For any addicts looking to reduce intake, replacing coffee with green tea or chicory blends while you go taper off can help. These provide a gentler transition by consuming a lower caffeine dose per serve.

TLDR

My preference is to maintain mental clarity without depending on caffeine. It is more consistent, and it avoids the cycle of tolerance, withdrawal, and disrupted sleep that regular coffee consumption tends to create.

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