Sleep is critical for [recovery][1], stress relief, and
long-term physical and mental health. If you look for
information about "sleep hygiene" there are an abundance of
lists of tips that may help you. I recommend the following:

- Maintain a regular sleep schedule that works best for your [chronotype][2]
- Favor a dark, cool sleeping environment
- Avoid alcohol consumption late in the day[^1]
- Properly support and align your spine; you may need special pillows to help with this
- Start to wind down an hour (or two) before you go to sleep
    - Avoid screen time e.g. phones, computers, TVs; e-ink is OK
    - Avoid stressful, exciting, or overly-stimulating activities
- Get _enough_ sleep to ensure that your body can [recover][1] from the stress you put it through

Getting long nights of high-quality sleep get's harder as
you age. The best thing you can do is set yourself up for
success and protect the time you need to stay rested.

[^1]: I have been observing my sleep quality using an on-wrist fitness tracker for years. In my experience, even _one_ drink late in the day can cause a poor night of sleep.

[1]: /health/recovery/
[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronotype