How To Get The Best Night's Sleep

Research shows that 30 per cent of us regularly suffer from insomnia, so we've asked sleep expert Dr Guy Meadows for his tips on how to drift off.

Here are sleep expert Dr Guy Meadow's 5 top tips for getting a good night's rest:

1. Avoid using any electrical device 45 minutes before bedtime. Your brain connects the light from the screen to that of the sun, and continues to release your waking hormones.

2. Drop the rituals. Being reliant on unnatural night-time props (e.g. warm baths, pills, alcohol) can fuel sleep anxiety and further sleeplessness. 

3. Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time each morning, so your 'drive' for sleep the following night isn't disrupted.

4. Cut out caffeine after lunchtime and limit alcohol to one small glass of wine. It takes an hour to metabolise one unit of alcohol, so your body won't be focusing on sending you to sleep.

5. While 7 to 8 hours is the average for most people, anything from 4 to 10 is normal. Try to find your own average, and don't worry if it's different to others. 

The Sleep Book: How To Sleep Well Every Night by Dr Guy Meadows is out now (Orion, £9.99)