Optimising Sleep — Practical Protocols

CONSISTENT SLEEP/WAKE TIME: The single most impactful intervention. Your circadian clock thrives on consistency. Even on weekends. Variation of >1 hour on weekends ('social jetlag') impairs weekday performance. MORNING LIGHT: 10-30 minutes of outdoor light within 1 hour of waking. Sets your cortisol awakening response and anchors your melatonin onset 16 hours later. COOL, DARK, QUIET BEDROOM: Temperature 18-19°C. Blackout curtains or eye mask. Earplugs or white noise if needed. These three factors directly determine deep sleep architecture. NO SCREENS 60 MINUTES BEFORE BED: Or use blue light filtering. This is well-established. The content of screens (news, social media) also elevates cortisol — not just the light.

MAGNESIUM GLYCINATE (300-400mg, 30-60 min before bed): Reduces sleep latency, improves deep sleep quality. Most people are deficient. Well-tolerated. Start here. MELATONIN (0.5-1mg, 30 min before target sleep time): Useful for circadian phase-shifting (jet lag, shift work, resetting a delayed sleep phase). NOT a sedative — it signals timing, not depth. Most people take 10-20× too much. More is not better. L-THEANINE (200mg with evening meal): Reduces sleep onset anxiety without sedation. Often combined with low-dose melatonin. ASHWAGANDHA (300-600mg KSM-66 extract): Reduces cortisol. Most benefit seen in chronically stressed individuals. NOT WORTH IT: Valerian (mixed evidence), most commercial 'sleep blends' (underdosed), ZMA (marginal benefit if already adequate zinc/magnesium).