The harder you try, the worse it gets
Sleep is one of the few things that gets further away the harder you chase it. Lying in bed willing yourself to sleep creates exactly the alertness that keeps you awake. Much of better sleep is about removing the effort, not adding more of it.
Build a wind-down, not just a bedtime
Your brain needs a runway to land. In the hour before bed, dim the lights, step away from screens where you can, and do something quiet and undemanding. A warm shower, a few pages of a book, some slow breathing. You are signalling to your body that the day is closing.
If you cannot sleep, get up
This feels counterintuitive, but it is one of the most effective techniques there is. If you have been awake for around twenty minutes and feel frustrated, get up, go to another room, and do something calm in low light until you feel sleepy, then return to bed. This stops your brain learning to associate your bed with lying awake.
Protect the basics
Keep your wake-up time roughly consistent, even after a poor night, as this anchors your body clock. Get some daylight in the morning. Be mindful of caffeine after midday and of alcohol in the evening, which fragments sleep even when it helps you drop off. Keep the bedroom cool, dark and for sleep.
Persistent insomnia is often tangled up with stress, anxiety or low mood, and treating those can transform your sleep. If poor sleep is wearing you down, talking to someone can help.