My mother always tells me to put away all devices an hour before bed or at least turn on night mode. Never helps x) I find the hot shower very relaxing. And listening to something boring like a podcast on economics or some audiobook

I have one idea, not related to sleep directly, but in my experience it helps with brain fog. Avoid sugary food. If possible, forget about sugar and processed food forever. It’s a huge endeavour, when most products contain so much sugar these days. But it will be very beneficial to your health and maybe your sleep too.

Have you tested your tryptophan blood levels? Recent studies suggest that this amino acid increases the production of melatonin and serotonin in the body, so it can potentially improme your REM sleep, as both melatonin and serotonin play an important part in sleep cycles. Serotonin-related, your previous depression might have played some part in your insomnia too.

I wouldn’t put much trust in your smartwatch's data. It can be very inconsistent across different watch brands, and REM sleep is hardest to track.

Keeping the room cool in all seasons works for me. Basically, no warm blankets and an open window.

Maybe not your case, but just a thought: change your pillow? When I have to stay in hotels for the night, I always suffer from big, thick pillows! For me a smaller, thinner pillow works miracles, though it was hard to find one, so I ended up buying one for babies. Certain foods, like fatty fish (Omega-3), may also help with sleep and brain fog in general.

Can it be that something inside your house or outdoor noises disrupt your sleep, and you’re not even registering it? REM sleep is a very subtle sleep stage, at least for me. I’m sensitive to any noises or light changes, so we had to buy blackout curtains, and I use earplugs at all times, which have helped a lot.

I wouldn’t recommend experimenting with sleep regimes. It’s best to go to bed and wake up at similar hours each day. I also took to reading old-school paper books before bed (mind you, not in bed!). It takes my head off all daily worries and influences how fast I’ll fall asleep.

Honestly, there’re so many reasons for insomnia, that my advice can be useless in your case. Anyway, what helped me was restoring electrolyte minerals in my body (sodium, potassium, chrome, magnesium). Hope you’ll find the right solution.

@Veena Choudhary I've never heard about essential oils helping with insomnia. I'll research this topic, thanks!

@Minor Sage I'm trying different diets ATM, including keto and gluten free. Someone has recommended fasting as a great way to restore normal sleep, but I haven't plucked up enough courage for that yet. Thanks for your tip about avoiding sugar, I'll try that too.