Melatonin puts you under. Niacin keeps you under.
Normally, I go to sleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, sometimes before. I keep things dark, not even a digital clock shining at me. And quiet. Only if the cats make a ruckus do I wake up before my time. And regularity. Right after “Cannon”, or lately “Barnaby Jones”, teevee off, unconscious 30 sec after.
Dark, quiet, regular. Only way to get decent sleep.
Failing that, melatonin in the smallest dose that does the trick. Wanna save? Buy the max, and divvy up the pills in halves, quarters, or even less. For me, it starts kicking in at about the 20min mark. That’s when Mr Sandman pops over. Miss that, and forget it. Do not try to stay up even 5min to finish reading something or watch something, nothing. Force yourself to stay awake after the mood hits, and then even a second dose won’t work. You’ll just end up fuzzy-brained all the next day. After popping it, lie down and make like you’re going to sleep immediately. Ie, use it or lose it.
So, small dose, be ready to drop off immediately, then do it.
If you still wake up later on, or don’t get a restful sleep, load up on NicOH. 500mg is good. 1000mg gives a nice warm “niacin flush”. Avoid too much for too long to not overstress your liver.
I go for straight NicOH, the good stuff, not the “time-release” stuff (niacinamide, etc.). You can try various forms, see what works best for you.
So yeah, melatonin to put you under, and NicOH to keep you under.