Jaycee has 99% of it, so I'll just embellish hers a bit:
Activity and sunlight during the day; Absolutely, the human body stores energy so it can be used. If not used, your body will use it whenever, to discard it, thus, sleeplessness. Perhaps a bit of exercise mid evening would help.
Yes, sleepy time tea, or spiced cider, choc milk, etc.
Mention of hypnosis and meditation, I'll take that another direction, some folks with certain experiences in their history can trance out, at will. Helps when I'm hunting and I get an early start (the evening before), some don't understand how I can sleep in a tree. I've had nurses get upset when I give blood, even if I warn them.
Night noise, yes no ticking clocks, you're not there to actually count sheep. Minor familiar background noise? Absolutely. I knew a ship engineer that could only sleep if there was an engine running somewhere. Myself, I prefer late evening outdoor noise. Yes, I have a disc. I grew up listening to loons every summer vacation (the bird, not human idiots).
Faint nightlight? Perhaps. Even as silly as a kids night light. My clock is noiseless and turned so it's light is obscured and results in a faint glow off a wall. Perhaps similar to moonlight if sleeping outdoors. The only time I couldn't fall asleep outdoors was when I couldn't see a fav northern star constellation.
All of what Jaycee mentions and my add-ons are all part of a single thing: As she mentioned: Sleep behavior. Literally train your bod to go to sleep. You are in charge, so just trick you bod into that. It does help to cut out caffeine, I cut mine off at lunchtime. Regardless, the behavior thing works. I wake about 5:35 +/- a few, always, before the clock does.
But there's one thing missing, from anyone's mention, and that is the warmth, entanglement, and night time rustle noises of a late night bed partner. And a smile first thing in the morn is dangerously addictive.
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