There are few things more frustrating than lying in your bed, absolutely exhausted, but your mind just won't let you shut off and go to sleep.
There are many different reasons you might experience insomnia, from restless legs to having a lot on your mind. Sometimes you might fall asleep, but wake every few hours, which can be equally frustrating.
According to Dr Maja Schaedel, clinical psychologist in the Sleep Disorder Centre at Guy's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, having disturbed sleep is very common, Wales Online reports.
While sleep problems can be caused by trivial factors such as needing to urinate, it's important to make sure there aren't any health reasons for it, such as obstructive sleep apnoea.
If you struggle for a while it can turn into insomnia. Dr Schaedel explained: "This is when our body and brain starts to develop associations with struggling to fall asleep; or waking up during the night, or in the early hours of the morning – and even when there is no physical reason preventing us from sleeping, we still struggle."
If you're looking for a way to beat insomnia, here are eight steps that will get you there.
1. Keep a sleep diary
Dr Schaedel said: "Spend some time during the evening writing down all of the thoughts and concerns from the day.
"This will help to teach your body and brain that daytime is for thinking – night-time is for sleeping."
According to Lisa Artis, deputy CEO of The Sleep Charity, a sleep diary can help you find out whether your issues are the result of "bad sleep habits" such as drinking too much caffeine before bedtime, not exercising or poor sleep hygiene.
2. Don't force it
Lying there, getting more frustrated by the minute won't help you get to sleep. Lisa explained: "Sleep needs to find you. Keep your eyes open and gently resist sleep, or try to adopt a carefree, accepting attitude towards wakefulness. The more relaxed your mind is, the easier it is to drop off."
3. Don't clock-watch
If you start watching the clock, it could make falling asleep even harder. Lisa said: "When you keep an eye on the time, your mind starts to count down how long you have left to get some sleep.
"This generally leads to tossing and turning and thinking about what you need to do the next day, which increases stress and anxiety.
"This frustration often sends your body into 'fight or flight' response, where your mind starts to race, your heart rate increases, and your blood pressure raises. All of which, ultimately, prevent you from going back to sleep."
4. Put down your devices
You should avoid looking at any of your devices, such as phone, tablet or TV before bed. Lisa said: "Checking your devices often leads to 'just checking a message, email or social media' which then sets the brain in gear.
"Also, the blue light emitted from screens suppresses melatonin which tells your body it's time to wake up. It's best to remove temptation in the first place and ensure there is no tech in the bedroom before you go to bed."
5. Come to terms with your thoughts
It can be hard to switch your thoughts off when you're trying to sleep, but Dr Schaedel recommends just "identifying them as thoughts".
She added: "It's OK they have come into your mind – that's normal, but don't start to engage with them. Spending time attending to them and mulling them over gives them energy."
6. Keep your mind in the present
When these thoughts come into your head, it can be helpful to try to keep your mind in the present. "Focus on the present moment, such as a pyjama button, the crease in the sheets, the gentle rise and fall of your tummy when you breathe," advises Dr Schaedel.
She added: "When you find your mind being drawn towards your thoughts, simply bring it back to the here and now experience."
7. Relax
Dr Schaedel recommends progressive muscle relaxation to help control stress and anxiety and send you off to sleep. This involves relaxing your muscles one by one.
The sleep expert explained: "It's when you focus on squeezing and releasing the muscle groups in your body systematically."
8. Get up
If you've done all these things, and after 20 minutes you're still struggling to sleep, Dr Schaedel recommends getting up and moving to another room.
She said: "Reading, listening to music, relaxation techniques or having a milky drink are conducive to sleep. Staying in bed awake decreases sleep efficiency, meaning we associate the bed with activities such as being awake, planning, worrying and not for sleeping."
Have you tried any of these sleep tips? Let us know in the comment section below.
