Designing a sleep restriction programme

I am a fit and slim 51 yr old. I have been struggling with my sleep for at least 6 months although have been a poor sleeper for a long time. I consider myself a lark or lion. I seem to get by happily with 6,5 hours sleep. My typical sleep routine would be:

Bed 10.30-11pm

Sleep by 11-11.30pm

Solid sleep for 2.5-3.5hrs - up to toilet. Usually a good deep sleep which is satisfying although still sleepy when awake

Then remainder of the night will be up to 3 hours or regular awakenings every half hour to 1 hr with lots of REM dreaming.

If this makes up 6.5 -7hrs I'm happy. However the back end of the night's sleep has becoming increasingly challenging and often I don't get any sleep after the first solid block or just an hour or so. Mild anxiety doesn't help this. Its not severe but just enough to compound the already light sleeping in the second half of night. I can still function on 4-5 hours but my mood can swing and I can suffer some anxiety/depressive thoughts through day. I do try CBT in day and night with mixed results. I have tried the technique of getting up for half and hour and reading and then returning to bed. I never feel very sleepy on return and I don't think it makes much difference. I can’t see getting up every 15minutes is going to have any effect but a negative one as often recommended.

Also been experimenting with Magnesium and Ashwagandha supplements in evening too.

My mother says she has always survived on little sleep so a large part might be genetic.

After doing the Sleepio programme as recommended by my GP and implementing lots of good hygiene which has helped I think with the quality of the initial block, I think a sleep restriction programme is now the last thing in my armoury to tackle the later night issues. Sleepio recommended restriction to 5 hours which is what I am averaging each night. I don't know what to adjust the timings to. I will find it very hard staying up late (I feel sleepy at 8-9pm so staying up to 2pm could be very hard!) However this might force good sleep at the back end of the night then slowly adjust my bedtime back. If I simply go to bed as usual time and then get up 5 hours later its not really going to change much? However I am concerned about upsetting my circadian rhythm etc. Any advice would be welcome! thanks

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