What actually helps you wind down at night?

The aim is lowering arousal, which is why the common advice about screens is only part of it. What tends to work: dimming lights an hour before bed, since bright overhead light suppresses melatonin more than most people realise; a consistent short sequence that signals the day is ending; keeping the bedroom cool, which matters a lot in Indian summers; and getting worries out of your head onto paper rather than rehearsing them lying down. What does not: lying in bed trying harder to sleep. If you are awake beyond twenty minutes, get up and do something dull in low light.