If there’s one thing I’ve learned throughout my slow journey toward wellness, it’s that not every piece of wellness advice works for everyone. That makes perfect sense to me because people function in completely different ways, and there are no universal methods for feeling better.

One wellness recommendation that never really worked for me was sleep hygiene. As someone who has struggled with insomnia since childhood and whose circadian rhythm has been heavily affected by it, I’ve learned that sleep hygiene alone rarely reduces my insomnia in any meaningful way.

In my personal experience, I tried everything people suggested. I stopped using screens before bed, avoided caffeine in the evenings, and used my bed only for sleeping. I followed all the “correct” habits that wellness experts constantly recommend online. Still, my insomnia remained the same, and my nights continued to feel unbearably long.

I have to admit that this created a certain amount of resentment in me. For a long time, I felt as though my insomnia was somehow my fault, as if I simply lacked discipline or healthy habits. Everywhere I looked, people insisted that improving my routines would eventually fix the problem. Unfortunately, that never happened for me.

That doesn’t mean sleep hygiene never helps people. I’m sure it does. What I’m saying is that wellness advice is rarely universal, especially when underlying health conditions are involved. Sometimes the conversation around wellness becomes too simplistic, and people end up feeling guilty when a certain method doesn’t work for them.

Ironically, what has actually helped me the most is learning how to relax instead of obsessing over sleeping “correctly.” Some of the things that calm me down at night include listening to ASMR without looking at the screen, listening to music with headphones, and occasionally playing a video game to unwind, even though many people would consider that counterproductive before bed.

In addition to that, I take melatonin at night to help me sleep. However, I always recommend speaking with a doctor before starting any supplement, since a healthcare professional can guide you much better than a blogger ever could.

At the end of the day, I think wellness advice is best approached with flexibility. What works beautifully for one person may do absolutely nothing for someone else. Instead of chasing universal solutions, I believe it’s more important to discover what genuinely helps you personally, ideally with the support of qualified professionals who truly understand your situation.