How can I increase my deep sleep with an Oura ring despite my wind-down routine?

[OliviaHM]

I've been tracking my deep sleep with an Oura ring for six months, and no matter what I try, I can't seem to get it consistently above an hour. I've nailed the darkness and temperature, but I'm starting to wonder if my pre-bed "wind-down" routine of reading is actually keeping my brain too active.

[Alexander.W]

I hear you. I tracked deep sleep for a while and even with blackout curtains and a cool room I’d still end up short. I stuck to reading for months, then tried a 15 minute gentle stretch with slow breathing, and there were a few nights where the block looked a bit longer, but most nights stayed inconsistent.

[NoraP]

I’ve been in that place where the reading keeps you awake in a way that feels productive but actually robs you of rest. Sometimes I’d drift off faster after turning the page, other times I woke up wired anyway.

[JonathanKJ]

One concrete thing I did was nudge bedtime earlier by half an hour and cut caffeine after noon. It helped for a few nights, but the pattern kept shifting and I stopped counting on it.

[Jonathan.T]

Question: could the issue be something else entirely like stress or morning wakeups throwing off the cycle?