Adults need about 7 to 8 hours sleep a night.  Less than 4, and soon you can’t concentrate or drive a car, and your immune system is under strain.  Most of us have short spells of insomnia.

What to do

• Balance your day with periods of work, exercise and fun
• Get into a routine that suits you for going to bed and waking up
• Allow time to digest your last meal (2 hours plan)
• Relax in the hour before going to bed, and clear your mind.
• Have a warm shower or bath
• Make sure your bed is comfortable, and your room is quiet and warm
• Enjoy your sex life
• Learn relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing
• Avoid stimulants such as coffee, tea, alcohol and smoking after 9pm
  Keep a sleep diary and see if there is a pattern
• Don’t take sleeping pills unless absolutely necessary, and for nor more than 3 days at a time
• Don’t lie there worrying or watching the hands of the clock go round
• Get up and do something distracting, preferably in another room
• Go back to bed only when you feel sleepy again

If these self help measures don’t work, see a doctor or counsellor.