Music can occupy the mind and also trigger adrenaline. Most current music does. That is part of your generation.

You might try cutting back on the cereal. Most is a bit sugar intense. A spike in blood sugar can give you a jolt of energy. Look at the calorie content and calories from sugar amount.

When is you last caffeine of the day ?

You need to understand there is physical tiredness and sleepiness. They are entirely different. Tiredness is body. Sleepiness is brain.

I'm sure you can find some music that is not stimulating. I have some CD's that are like sleeping pills. My favorite is Diana Krall, The Look of Love. Light jazz. It helps to use the same music each night. You can alternate between a few but you do not want music that is new. It causes your brain to wake up to try to understand the new music. The same music allows your brain to just follow along. Radio is lousy. It also helps to have your bed so you are instantly comfortable. When it is cool, I turn on an electric mattress pad before bed then turn it off when I get in bed. Instant cozy bed.

I have never found gray noise to help. Water sounds or waves or wind just do not help me.

For many of us, sleep needs to be a discipline. The PCS brain does not shut out ambient sounds as well as it should. We need to find ways to help it settle down.