Voluntary effort and an obsession with a perfect bedtime routine are counterproductive; to regain quality sleep, one must release all pressure and stop forcing the process.

noli's read

This approach is based on particularly solid scientific foundations. Sleep research shows that voluntary effort (termed 'sleep effort') disrupts falling asleep, which is an involuntary biological process. To measure this phenomenon, researchers Broomfield and Espie validated the Glasgow Sleep Effort Scale in 2005 (a measurement validation study). Furthermore, a meta-analysis published by Jansson-Fröjmark and colleagues in the Journal of Sleep Research confirmed the effectiveness of 'paradoxical intention'—an approach consisting of allowing oneself to remain awake—to reduce nocturnal performance anxiety. Finally, the obsession with optimizing sleep via rigid rituals or tracking tools is a stressor documented in observational studies as 'orthosomnia.' The invitation to abandon pressure and let biology take its course is therefore scientifically impeccable.

the sources

No named source held this one up — that absence is part of the verdict.