WHAT SLEEP POSITION HELPS THE LOWER BACK? CAN MELATONIN SOLVE SLEEPING PROBLEMS?

✢ Take a cold or lukewarm shower before getting into your bed.

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‘Ensuring you keep a proper alignment of your spine is the most important thing. If lying flat on your back feels uncomfortable, try shifting over to your side in a foetal position,’ says Dr Ramlakhan. ‘Sleeping this way opens the spaces between your vertebrae. However, try to switch sides every night, so you’re not putting too much pressure on one side of your body.’

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The hormone melatonin is highest at night. It helps control our sleep cycle, allowing us to drift off in the evening and wake up in the morning when levels decrease again. Our melatonin levels naturally decrease as we age, though. They can also reduce as a result of certain diseases such as cancer and type 2 diabetes.

However, melatonin is available by prescription – mainly to treat sleep problems in adults aged 55 and over. ‘Research suggests that melatonin supplements might be helpful in solving sleeping problems such as delayed sleep phase one,’ says Rob. This is the first of our four sleep stages, and it lasts from one to five minutes. The typical eight hours of sleep will go through several cycles of these sleep stages.

The main concern with taking melatonin supplements is the risk of overdose and dependency. ‘I have worked with people who are good sleepers, but have taken melatonin to overcome jet lag,’ says sleep expert James Wilson. ‘Their body gets used to the overdose and, when the supplement is removed, they start to struggle to sleep.’ Although melatonin is naturally occurring in the body, taking too much can disrupt your sleep cycle. There isn’t a recommended dosage for adults, but studies tend to use between 1-10mg. It’s believed over 30mg may be harmful. ‘Try to change sleeping behaviours before turning to supplements,’ says James.

✢ Find out more from the Sleep Foundation; sleepfoundation.org

The National Sleep Foundation recommends we get seven to nine hours of sleep a night, but one in three of us get less than six**.