WEEK THREE TACKLE STRESS

My diary shows that my sleep issues are almost entirely related to stress. When I have any kind of heart-stopping moment (a work panic, an argument, reading a sad news story), I inevitably wake at 3am or 4am the next day.

The diary also shows me that on the days I get stressed, my main way to unwind is with red wine. The nights when I drink, my sleep is patchier and I wake up earlier. This stress-drink-wakefulness spiral isn’t surprising, says Dr Mosley. ‘Some people are very sensitive to alcohol. Try to have three to four nights when you don’t drink. Stop for a week and see if it makes a difference. Alcohol is not an essential nutrient!’ I feel slightly told off and pretty stupid: of course booze and sleep don’t mix.

My other habit when I’ve had a bad night is to rely on coffee. As with my wine intake, once I’ve written it down, I can see my coffee consumption has increased to six cups and I’m drinking it early in the afternoon, too. Dr Mosley says he used to drink a lot of coffee, but has swapped to tea. ‘Now I find two to three cups of coffee is fine.’

For stress, Dr Mosley uses a simple yogic breathing exercise: 4-2-4. With one hand on your belly, inhale slowly and deeply through your nose for a count of four. Hold for two, then breathe out slowly through your mouth for a count of four. Repeat for two minutes. It turns on the parasympathetic nervous system, aka your relaxation response. ‘Practise during the day, so it doesn’t feel alien when you do it at night,’ he says.

What happened? I take three days off drinking alcohol. I don’t notice my sleep has improved, but when I go back to drinking more than two glasses, it’s terrible – down to four hours. Another night when I wake at 3am, I try the breathing. I soon go back to sleep and don’t wake up until 6am. It’s a result!