Tali Keller

Pick a fixed wake-up time that matches your life and protect it for the next 10–14 days, no sleeping in. Even if you didn't sleep well, get up at that time, get outside for 5–10 minutes of bright light, move your body a bit, and eat breakfast to anchor your clock. Shift bedtime earlier in small steps—15 to 30 minutes every night—rather than trying to jump an hour at once. If you're exhausted, allow a single short nap before 2 p.m., no longer than 20 minutes, then back up at your normal time. Cut off caffeine by early afternoon and keep alcohol minimal; both push your sleep later. In the evening, dim lights for 2 hours before bed, put screens on night mode or away, keep the room cool, and start a repeatable wind-down routine like a shower, stretch, or reading so your brain gets a clear cue. Go to bed when you're actually sleepy, and if you're awake more than about 20 minutes, get up and do something low-light and boring until you feel drowsy again. If you want an extra nudge, a very low dose of melatonin (0.5–1 mg) taken about 4 hours before your target bedtime for a few days can help shift your clock, but skip it if you have medical reasons or it makes you groggy. Expect it to take 3–7 days to feel locked in; keep your wake time steady on weekends within an hour, get morning light every day, and the schedule will stabilize without an all-nighter.