HOW TO GET A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP

Dr Jeffrey Lipsitz offers these suggestions:

• Make sure your room is quiet and dark and your bed is comfortable.
• Get up and go to bed at the same time everyday.
• Limit your caffeine and nicotine intake.
• Eat dinner at least 2-3 hours before bedtime - its more difficult to fall asleep if your body is still breaking down food. A light snack just before bedtime may be helpful, however.
• Exercise regularly. Physical activity done early in the day may promote deeper, better-quality sleep - though too-vigorous exercise just before bedtime may delay sleep.

If you have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep:

• Don't toss and turn for longer than half an hour: get up and do something calming, like reading.
• Develop a relaxing pre-sleep ritual: have a glass of warm milk or herbal tea; read a book or have a bath.
• Get treatment for any medical problems that may contribute to sleep troubles, such as sleep apnoea and restless-leg syndrome.

If you still have trouble sleeping, there are a number of sleep aids available. Though sleeping pills are significantly safer than they used to be - they are less addictive and they can clear the body more quickly - "even the drug companies will tell you that they're not for use in chronic insomnia, because they won't make you a better sleeper. They may help you fall asleep on the nights that you take them, but you can develop a tolerance to them" says Lipsitz. They are, however, safe for short term use. "The most appropriate use of sleeping pills is for situational insomnia: a person who normally sleeps well develops insomnia because of an acute stress," says Dr S.R. Dong. But insomnia that lasts for more than a few weeks may signal more serious problems. Consult your doctor before taking any kind of sleeping aid.