[Cajundaddy]

Changes I made that significantly improved sleep as I approach the big 70. I now get an average of 7 hrs of real sleep and *mostly* with few interruptions. If I do find myself waking between 1-3 am it can often be associated with one or more missed steps in my in my preparation.

I only use Melatonin once when traveling to "reset the clock" for a new time zone. No other pharma or supplements. A thorough annual blood test to confirm I am not vitamin or mineral deficient. I also make sure to take a brisk 2 mile walk every day to burn up excess energy and stay reasonably fit.

Nighttime pre-flight checklist:
1. Avoid caffeine, sugar, carbs, and alcohol after 7pm.
2. Drink only water in the evening.
3. Regular bedtime prep 11 pm, wake normally 7 am.
4. Get the lighting low in the evening and avoid intense or anxiety-producing reading, news, or films.
5. Let the dog out.
6. After teeth brushing, spend 5-10 minutes doing meditative breathing exercises to clear the mechanism and get my heart rate down to around 50. If I drink alcohol later in the evening, getting my heart rate below 60 is nearly impossible and sleep is often interrupted. This is a biggie for me.

Hopefully one or more of these ideas may be helpful.