After midday: five things I avoid to reduce 3 a.m. wake-ups.

A sleep writer describes five daytime habits they stopped after midday—late naps, heavy caffeine, large meals, vigorous evening exercise, and evening rumination—and adopted three sleep-friendly replacements, reporting fewer 3 a.m. wake-ups and easier sleep onset.

The author writes that erratic sleep and regular 3 a.m. wake-ups led them to study the 10-3-2-1-0 sleep method and speak with sleep experts. They concluded that activities after midday were undermining their nighttime rest. Over time they removed several afternoon and evening habits and introduced alternative practices meant to support sleep. The article reports the author experienced fewer nighttime awakenings after making these changes. What the article reports: - The author avoids long naps after midday and notes naps after about 3 p.m. were linked with difficulty falling asleep at night. - Sleep experts quoted in the piece say caffeine can remain active for many hours, and the author moved most coffee consumption to before midday. - Large evening meals were reported to raise core body temperature and digestion activity, which the author connects to fragmented early-night sleep; they now aim to finish eating earlier. - The article notes intense exercise too close to bedtime can delay recovery of heart rate and core temperature, so the author limits vigorous workouts in the evening. - Evening focus on stressful work or rumination was described as a trigger for 3 a.m. wake-ups; the author uses a brief written plan to record worries and possible solutions earlier in the day. - In place of those habits, the author adopted an evening stroll, switched to low-caffeine or herbal beverages and lighter snacks, and uses a 15-minute constructive worry exercise before evening. Summary: The author reports that stopping the five midday and evening habits and adding three sleep-friendly practices coincided with fewer 3 a.m. wake-ups and faster sleep onset. The piece draws on interviews with sleep professionals and the author's personal experience. Undetermined at this time.