Creating a routine and sticking to it was an absolute gamechanger.

For one, I stopped doing things on my bed during the day, like eating, writing, or watching movies. By staying on my bed while the sun was out, my body no longer associated a bed with sleeping, which contributed to my insomnia. Instead, I made it a habit of hopping out of bed as soon as I woke up and staying away until I was ready to sleep. When I started doing that regularly, I found myself getting drowsy so much faster when I did lay down.

I also stopped being online at a certain hour and filled that time with healthier activities known to increase tiredness. I now turn off all electronics by 9:30 PM, take a hot shower, brush my teeth and floss, and either listen to music, read a book, or journal out some thoughts.

I was averaging two to three hours of sleep per night, I'm now getting six to eight hours consistently. I did use sleeping pills to assist me in the routine, then weened myself off after a week or so, mind you. And it's important to note that creating a routine, sticking to it, and getting used to it will take time. It didn't happen overnight, and it took my body and mind a little time to process the correlation and go, "Oh hey, this is supposed to all mean it's bedtime."