Take a warm bath
Taking a warm bath before bed can help induce sleep. This is because your body temperature has a strong influence on how fast you fall asleep. A night's sleep is normally preceded by a slight drop in body temperature and scientists have established that this tells your body to go to sleep.
The theory behind taking a hot bath is to raise your body temperature artificially before allowing it to drop again as it adjusts to the cooler environment of your room. The trick is to take a bath one to two hours before bedtime and keep your bath temperature warm, rather than hot.
Stick to the same bedtime
Sleep experts believe going to bed and waking up at the same times on a regular basis is vital for healthy sleep. This is because humans have an inbuilt body clock called the circadian rhythm. Controlled by hypothalamus at the base of the brain, it governs the body's daily alternation between sleep and wakefulness.
Constantly changing our sleep patterns can bring on 'mini jet lags' where our body enters a slightly different time zone, which in turn puts it out of sync. This means we tend to 'surface sleep' never establishing a deep level of sleep - the most refreshing type of sleep - which can start to affect our mental performance and judgement the next day.
Treat yourself to a hot, milky drink
It may sound like an old wives' tale but taking a hot milky drink can encourage drowsiness because milk contains sleep-enhancing properties. This is thanks to its calcium content, which sleep experts claim can help you relax. It is also rich in tryptophan, which the body converts into serotonin - a natural hormone in the body that can make you sleepy.
This compares to coffee - which is twice as stimulating as tea due to its high caffeine content. Sleep experts recommend drinking coffee no later than two to three hours before going to bed, giving you time to process the caffeine.
Avoid drinking too much alcohol
Although a couple of glasses of alcohol may make you go to sleep faster, any more than that can lead to broken sleep. This is because alcohol disturbs chemicals in the brain that help with deeper patterns of sleep.
Brain waves increase from small undulations in Stage One to deep slow waves in Stage Four - the deepest level of sleep that makes us refreshed the next day. But as alcohol starts to wear off, we experience more Stage Five sleep - known as Rapid Eye Movement (REM). Although this stage is associated with dreaming, it is a lighter type of sleep and not as refreshing as Stage Four, affecting our mental performance and mood during the next day.
Buy a new bed
If your bed is more than 10 years old, consider replacing it. Its structure will have deteriorated by up to 75 per cent, causing sleep disruption and potential damage to the spine. Research shows buying a new bed is more effective than sleeping pills and can improve a night's sleep by 42 minutes.
For every night’s sleep, we lose half a pint of moisture. Sleep experts suggest opting for a mattress placed on a slatted base. This allows greater circulation of air to reach the mattress, which in turn, can help to reduce sweating during the night, aiding uninterrupted sleep.
Phone a friend
Good friends are just a phone call away. Talking with friends is a great stress relief - the old adage is true, 'a problem shared is a problem halved.' Talking to people who are positive rather than critical and judgmental will help to lift your mood.
Several studies show that laughter produces endorphins, natural chemicals that ease pain and produce a feeling of euphoria, helping us cope with physical stress and chronic pain.
Get a pet
Researchers have found that spending time with pets can help to reduce stress. Scientists from the University of New York studied 240 married couples, half of whom had a dog or cat. They found that people with pets had lower resting heart rates and blood pressure than those without a cat or dog.
They also found that pet owners reacted less to the difficult tasks they were set and their heart rates and blood pressure returned to normal levels more quickly.
Take a bath
Warm water relaxes the muscles and help ease the aches and pains of the day.
Raising the temperature of our bodies stimulates the production of white blood cells, which strengthens the immune system - one of the first systems to suffer when we're stressed. Hot water also encourages sweating which helps to remove toxins from the body.
Soften the lights
A home should be lit to create a sense of comfort and intimacy. Sidelights and dimmers can make a much calmer environment than harsh overhead lighting.
But why stop there? Get the candles out for the ultimate in relaxing ambience.
Get some sleep
Sleep is essential for nourishing mind and body. According to research, one in three people get less than five hours of sleep a night.