Notes from someone who had to learn how to sleep again

My body was tired. My brain had other plans.

For a long time I was getting three or four hours of sleep. This is where I share what I changed, the hypnosis recordings I use, and the few products that earned a place in my evening.

See what I use Read the whole sleep story
Personal experience, plainly labelledLast reviewed 13 September 2026
Matt Jope in a relaxed indoor setting
Matt JopeSleep coach and hypnosis creator

The familiar bit

You can spend all day wanting your bed, then become strangely alert the moment you get into it.

I know the calculation: if I fall asleep now, I can still get five hours. Then four and a half. Then four.

I am interested in the ordinary things that make that spiral less likely. What happens after work, what the room feels like, what gives the mind somewhere quieter to go, and which products are genuinely worth a closer look.

01

Wide awake at bedtime

You were exhausted on the sofa. Ten minutes later, in bed, you are replaying the day.

Read this first →02

Awake at 3:17am

You check the clock once. Now the remaining hours feel like a deadline.

What I do →03

A full night that did not feel full

You slept, technically. The morning still feels as if somebody skipped the restorative part.

Look at the room and routine →
Matt Jope wearing headphones in a bedroom settingThe work began with hypnosis recordings people could use at bedtime.

How I arrived here

I never planned to become a sleep coach.

I started reading about sleep because mine had become a problem.

At my worst I was often getting three or four hours. I tried to understand the whole day, not only the moment I got into bed. Walking helped. Exercise helped. So did better curtains, a sleep mask, less sugar, and an actual end to the working day.

There was no cinematic breakthrough. The nights became longer and more dependable. These days I often sleep for eight or nine hours.

I can think in the morning.I no longer approach bedtime like a test.

Meanwhile, people who knew my hypnosis work were asking for recordings they could use at night. The two stories met there.

The longer version

My wind-down

Bedtime was too late to begin calming down.

I needed a recognisable end to the day. This is the rough sequence I settled on.

01

During the day

Give the body a day

  • Walk or exercise
  • Get outside
  • Watch late caffeine
02

After work

Close things down

  • Write down unfinished jobs
  • Lower the lights
  • Prepare the bedroom
03

Before bed

Use familiar cues

  • An optional product
  • Hypnosis or quiet reading
  • Sleep mask and darkness
04

In bed

Leave sleep alone

  • Stop checking the time
  • Let the sequence do its work
  • Return to the recording if needed

A supplement can support a routine. It cannot replace one.

Things on my bedside list

What I use, and why it is there

This is a short list. Most people will only be interested in one part of it.

MY STARTING POINT

Magnesium

The straightforward magnesium citrate tablets I include in my wider evening routine.

Why I use it →MORE COMPLETE

Sleep Stack

A bundle for someone who already wants magnesium, cacao and the 3000mg CBD option together.

Compare the stack →EVENING RITUAL

Sleep Cacao

A warm drink that can help mark a clear boundary between the working day and winding down.

See the ritual →NO PRODUCT NEEDED

Hypnosis and relaxation

Audio can give a busy mind something gentle to follow when forcing sleep is making things worse.

Explore the journal →OPTIONAL AND SPECIALIST

CBD

Careful information for adults already considering CBD, including limitations and safety checks.

Read before deciding →

From the notebook

Six things I wish I had understood earlier

All journal entries →

The podcast

More time for the conversations that do not fit into a short video

Podcast 1 is now available. Watch it here, or open the episode page to keep it alongside future episodes.

Watch podcast 1

For tonight

Choose the easiest useful change.

Turn one light down. Put tomorrow's unfinished work on paper. Move the clock out of sight. Repeat the same change tomorrow.

Open the sleep toolkit