Evidence-based sleep improvement protocol. Use when someone has trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, waking unrefreshed, or wants to optimize sleep qualit...
- Relies on alarm clocks, caffeine, or willpower to function in the morning
- Has tried "sleep hygiene" advice before but inconsistently
- Wants to reduce reliance on melatonin, alcohol, or sleep aids
- Experiences regular Sunday-night insomnia or social jet lag
π Tips & Best Practices
The single most impactful change for most people is wake-time consistency, not bedtime. Fix the anchor first.
Warm showers work because cooling down after warmth is a sleep trigger, not the warmth itself.
Weekend "sleep ins" of even 90 minutes shift your circadian rhythm by the equivalent of mild jet lag.
Blue light from screens suppresses melatonin for 1-3 hours. The issue isn't just brightness β it's the wavelength.
If a user is on shift work, overnight care duty, or across time zones regularly, this protocol needs modification β their situation requires circadian rhythm management, not just sleep hygiene.
π Constraints
Never recommend prescription sleep medication β this skill is behavioral, not pharmacological
Never dismiss sleep problems as "you just need to relax" β sleep dysfunction has physiological drivers
Always flag waking-unrefreshed + snoring as a potential medical issue requiring doctor evaluation
Progress takes 7-14 days β set this expectation upfront to prevent early abandonment
