REST EASIER – TONIGHT

Whatever form your insomnia takes, however intermittent or relentless, there are simple steps you can take today to guarantee a better night’s sleep tonight.

No falling asleep on the sofa. any snooze after 4pm will dangerously dilute your urge to fall asleep later. So no matter how exhausted you are, falling asleep in front of the tv in the evenings sets up bad sleep habits which can be difficult to break. if you are finding it difficult to stay awake on a comfy sofa, perch on the edge of a hard chair instead and resist the urge to collapse into the cushions. When you do go to bed you’ll fall asleep more quickly and sleep better as a result.

Invest in a soft fabric eye mask and wear it at night to block out all light. the sleep hormone melatonin is suppressed by light, so total darkness at night is the best way to protect it and ensure good sleep.

a Set of disposable foam ear plugs will erase any background noise which might be waking you up in the night, or causing you to sleep very lightly – it will help mask a partner’s snoring too.

Shift your pets off the bed. animals tend to be nocturnal creatures and a very common source of allergies, so no matter how comforting you find them snuggling up with you at night, a cat or dog on your bed will almost certainly be disturbing your sleep.

Turn your alarm clock to face the wall. Clock-watching when you wake up in the night can trigger escalating stress levels if you can’t resist the urge to try to work out how little sleep you’ve had, how little time you’ve got until morning, and how dreadfully tired you’re inevitably going to be. You’ll fall back to sleep more quickly if you can’t see the time.