Thank you Kathryn! You hit all the right buttons as I’ll explain. Kudos to you for putting up with (temporary) sleepless nights to arrange a more healthful sleep.
First, tapering, which is taking it less and less over time and not abruptly stopping it, is a preferred approach to stopping any supplemental sleep aid.
Next, reducing your caffeine intake to either earlier in the day or not at all helps the brain be less charged at bedtime.
Getting outside in the sun (actually just bright daylight for those concerned about sun exposure) first thing in the morning (5 or 10 minutes is enough) gives a strong signal to the brain to turn off melatonin, but also to set a timer for melatonin to turn back on that night at bedtime-making it easier to be sleepy at the right time.
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