I fully expected to get ganged up on as is natural being a pilot dominated forum, you wish to rationalize your decisions, understood. I also understand the life is difficult and from my perspective understand the conflicting expectations of career and family and how to manage them both responsibly and effectively, it is a tall task I was not up for. I had many opportunities to take the PFE, flight training path and declined thus decided to be grounded at 27.
Always carried ear plugs, eye shades and bull dog clips and duct tape to ensure curtains didn't let in too much light. My procedure was to get up early on the day of the flight and go for walks, do something useful if at home, generally not sit around waiting, then go to bed at least four and possibly six hours before call time after having a meal, the meal causes blood to leave the brain and go to the stomach to process the food.
Even used to go to the gym sometimes but this has to be over at least three hours before you want to sleep as the adrenaline is high after exercise and may prevent sleep.
This sir is what I would applaud as a strong effort to be prepared for your duties.
On a side note after the first 6 months of my flight mechanic career (love how you took the quick shot to belittle me over), I got some of my best sleep on a currier floor being rocked to bed by a large aircraft that I learned to love. Every bit of information I could learn about flying this aircraft at that young age was cherished observing thousands of takeoff's and not so allways pretty challenging landings, it helped to define me as the man I am today in both my personal and professional life.