SLEEP WELL PLAYLIST - TOP TIPS - FROM EXTENSIVE RESEARCH AND EXPERIENCE (v2)

(Note to Forum Moderators: the previous version of this thread had copy/paste problems so I am reposting with corrections here. Please delete the earlier version.)

What are your best and healthiest habits to ensure good sleep?

Here are my tips from extensive research and experience.

Key thing is to... Understand what the body needs for good sleep.
Then do those things consistently each day and night.

Most important... don't drink caffeine after lunch because... it lasts a long time in the blood and... reduces sleepiness and sleep quality.

In the evening...

Starting at sunset... I turn down the intensity of all home lights. I turn down intensities of device screens also.

Several hours before bed time...I avoid eating or drinking (except water sips). Also turn down home temperature.

1 hour before bed time... I begin a wind-down time so I'm not doing stressful things well before bedtime (mental or physical). I avoid music that would get stuck in my mind.

The wind-down includes... brushing teeth, flossing, washing face (and sometimes washing hair under the kitchen sink faucet).

Right before going to sleep..

I make sure my bedding selection is right for the room temperature.
I make sure my blanket thickness will let me sleep a little cool rather than too hot because...
the body isn't very good at cooling itself under a blanket...
so overheating can cause a wake-up if the body gets too hot while sleeping.
Also... the body isn't good at controlling it's temperature during dreaming sleep.
That's why people often wake up during dreams... they they get overheated from too thick blankets.

I log the time I go to sleep on a piece of paper.

I do relaxing mind-clearing Tai Chi Stretching and Breathing
sitting version: http://nicertube.com/tmx6r8
standing version: http://nicertube.com/cz59qb

The Tai Chi moves are very easy to learn because they all have fun descriptive names so can do them without the video.

I put on foam ear plugs and a sleeping mask and...
Go to sleep same time each night... if at all possible.

Once I get in bed... I don't think or worry in any way... I just relax and go to sleep.

While sleeping I...
try to use good sleeping positions and...

I never pull covers over my face even if it is cool in the Winter because...
covering one's face causes overheating and re-breathing CO2, which can cause raised heartbeat and wakening.
I also make sure the pillow stays in the right position or it can affect the neck and breathing. Open mouth breathing can ruin sleep. Sometimes I need to use lip balm to keep my lips moist so my mouth stays shut while sleeping. That helped me a lot. Waking up in the middle of the night with a dry mouth is no fun!

If I get awakened in the middle of the night due to noises...
sometimes I'll use headphones and "white noise" because I find it very calming and is most reliable for enabling me to get back to sleep. I use a radio tuned between channels so i just get static. I keep it very low volume.

In the day...

I wake up same time each day and make sure I get bright light right away to reset my body clock.
I also eat early for same reason.

I get lots of physical activity, especially in the morning and when sitting too long.
That is crucial for creating a "need for sleep".

I don't eat a lot of carbs at one time because that would make me sleepy and want to take a nap.

I don't take naps because that would reduce my "need for sleep".

In the morning, I log that time I woke up and the number of hours I slept. I also log if anything disturbed my sleep. If yes, I list any sleep improvement ideas to try next... to prevent the problems from occurring again.

Most of the ideas above I got from top sleep books and articles with evidence-based findings.
They all work well for me.

See book "Sleep Smarter" by Shawn Stevenson. It's the best book I've read out of very many. Here is the Google book listing that provides table of contents: Sleep Smarter - 21 Essential Strategies to Sleep Your Way to a Better Body, Better Health, and Bigger Success
By Shawn Stevenson 2016

Please forgive any typos above.