When you wake…

If you’re staring at the ceiling in the early hours, these tips will help you to nod off again:

✱ Distract yourself from the urgency to sleep, says Dr Stanley. Create a non-stressful problem to solve, such as how you’d decorate your home.

✱ Let go of tension. Clenching and then relaxing every muscle group from head to toe is known as ‘progressive muscle relaxation’ and it can soothe your body back into sleep mode.

✱ Focus on your breath, noticing each inhale and exhale. ‘It’s a way of quieting your mind,’ says Dr Stanley.

✱ ‘If you’re still awake after 20 minutes, get up, do a bit of ironing or read a magazine before putting yourself back to bed,’ says sleep expert Sammy Margo.