Strategies that have been helping me, a person with adhd, get a (vaguely) adequate amount of sleep at night:
Figure out how much time is ideal for you to get ready in the morning so you're not rushed, but also not so much time that you fall into the "cool I have enough time to start [project]" trap.
Set an alarm to get up at that time. When this alarm goes off you have to get up, no matter what
Now set an alarm for 30 minutes before that. This extra time tricks my brain into feeling like I'm having a lie-in. Most of the time I drift in and out of sleep, and usually I'm up by 7:45-7:50. But if I'm really tired I just conk out for the whole 30 minutes. Either way I still feel like I had a naughty little sleep in.
The night before:
Determine how much sleep you actually need. Is it 6? Is it 10? Everyone's different! And if you've been sleeping badly you may need *extra* sleep on top of your ideal amount for a while.
*Ideal* bed time is that number of hours before the first alarm, not the second
Set an alarm for an hour before your ideal bed time, this will give you time to finish what you're doing/find a good stopping place and go through your evening routine.
Make it a goal to be in bed half an hour before your ideal bed time. This is a goal to shoot for, not a hard and fast rule! I am pretty much never in bed by this time, but it does make it easier to be in bed by (ideal bed time) to have a lofty goal to miss.
Try not to get sucked into anything between your alarm and getting ready for bed, or between getting ready for bed and going to bed. (I fully recognize that I am writing this post in bed 20 minutes past my ideal bed time. Like I said, these are goals too try for)
Anyway, you have half an hour of wiggle room after your ideal bed time because you have half an hour of wiggle room with your morning alarms. I feel like I'm staying up past my bed time when in reality, it's fine. All of this is about tricking yourself into feeling like you're being naughty when you're really just following the rules
Obviously, if you have trouble falling asleep you should take that into account and adjust your times accordingly.
Getting to sleep:
No screens (see below for exceptions)
Listen to a podcast/audiobook/music that's interesting enough for you not to start writing a dissertation in your head about the history of the east India tea company, but not so interesting you find yourself fighting sleep to listen to it. It's a fine balance.
Find a mind game you like (I like the Fancy Nancy- choose a category, say bands or tv shows, and go through the alphabet, naming one for each letter) so you can bounce your attention around without getting too involved with either thing
Sometimes the brain just won't stop, and I gotta pull out my phone and play a simple puzzle game for a bit. Try to leave this as last resort, as the light from the screen can disrupt your sleep patterns. Also, don't go on any social media that involves endless scrolling and unique stimulation. (yes, I recognize the irony here) You'll get sucked into reading the next post forever and won't stop. It's a trap.
Hope some of these help! Let me know if you have any other ideas to convince my bastard brain to get to bed on time because it is now 15 minutes past my non-ideal bed time and I'm dicking around on tumblr instead of following my own advice
