you wont like this answer:
sometimes** start your day by wakeing up at 3am

My husband can do that, and honestly I think it’s because he doesn’t sleep deeply enough, and gets up too early. So exhaustion works.

I fall asleep ina reasonable amount of time (satisfied with it) and exercise is the main thing I can tell helps me. Next most important I wait until I am actually sleepy before trying to sleep. Smaller factors but still helpful - progesterone (post menopause) before bed, putting down the phone an hour before bed, and a routine - I take a shower & do skincare.

Some things that help me at least:

• Only use bed for sleeping.
• Don’t use screens at least an hour before bed.
• Keep phone out of arms reach when in bed. Ideally in another room (these devices weigh heavy on our psychology, and the further they are from us, the less distracting they are).
• Leave blinds open at night so you wake up with the sun. Try to sync your body / circadian rhythm with your environment if possible.
• Get lots of walks and outside time during the day. If you have a lot of energy, work out more during the day.
• No coffee / intoxicants in the evening.
• Drink lots of water.
• Don’t try to fix your sleep problems at night. Most of your remedies should be getting on the right foot the next day, and making habits of those.

Use a chair when doing anything productive, when laying down avoid using your phone at all, wait til your eyes glaze basically

I tire my brain out, whenever I lay down, I dont want to move at all, I fall asleep in whatevery uncomfy position dehydrated

weed

I’ve always been this way, but every so often I still have trouble turning my thoughts off enough to get to sleep.

There’s a technique I use on those occasions that helps a lot. Basically, just try to imagine a shape - it could be a circle or a sphere or a triangle or whatever - and just try to rotate it in your head. Pick a colour too. Try to keep it going. Any time you lose focus because another thought takes over, try to get the shape back.

I’ve had problems with insomnia in the past.

I generally find the easiest way for me to sleep is to be very physically tired.

Narcolepsy - a blessing and a curse.

I lay down, close my eyes, and then in my mind I imagine slowly pushing all sensation down to my feet starting from my head while I slow my breathing. I’m usually out before I even get to my knees.

Children.

As someone who used to be like that but now has a real fucked up sleep schedule due to unemployment, I can tell you the deciding factor is a consistent sleep period. The vast majority of my career has been waking up at 4am and going to sleep at 8 or 9pm. Thats easy to fall into and even when you’re off your body just knows when its time to sleep and when its time to get up. Ive gotten up on time a few times despite the alarms failing to go off for whatever reason. You want good sleep? Set wake up and bedtime. Your body will adjust.

I only use my bed for sleeping, when I go lie down body knows it’s night night time

A strict wake-up time that’s the same every day helps. I put the alarm far away from my bed so I have no choice to drift back off.

All the usual tips apply; a cool room, no blue light at night, no distractions in the bedroom, get up for a while if it’s not working…

Easy, I wake up three hours later and toss and turn or give up and read.