Common SLEEP STOPPERS

BATHROOM OR HALLWAY LIGHT

Light increases your alertness, so brush your teeth and scrub off makeup in semi-darkness. And if you get up at night to pee, don’t flick the light on.

ALCOHOL & NICOTINE

Because booze is a short-acting sedative, while you may crash, you’ll wake when it dissipates after a few hours. (Liquor also worsens apnoea.)

And while a nightly smoking ritual might feel relaxing, nicotine actually revs up your brain.

TOO MUCH TV

Watching more than four hours of evening telly can make it tough to sleep, a study in medical journal Psychiatry Research recently found. And watching upsetting news late at night can be anxiety inducing.