Sleep is for everybody - and plays an important role in helping us to unwind, and recuperate.

We spend about a third of our lives asleep. The Mental Health Foundation says "Sleep is essential - It is as important to our bodies as eating, drinking and breathing, and is vital for maintaining good mental and physical health. Sleeping helps us to recover from mental as well as physical exertion. Sleep and health are strongly related - poor sleep can increase the risk of having poor health, and poor health can make it harder to sleep. Sleep disturbances can be one of the first signs of distress."

So, getting a good night's sleep is important (if not always forthcoming) Being too hot or too cold (having a hot flush!) or being in pain, or a crying baby to feed at night, needing to get up for the loo - all of these things and more can disturb what hours sleep you do manage to grab. You'd benefit from a healthy 8 hours a night, but we know it's not always possible, so try and grab a "power nap" when you can - 4o winks, as they used to say - can help a lot!

Get comfortable, block out too much light or loud noises, and if you need some soothing white noise or music, add that instead (different things work for different people). Try deep breathing, and block out the worrying thoughts of the day (Focussing on a single thought e.g. a lotus flower, can help)

Some people manage best when they have a bedtime routine (no computers just before bed!) - maybe a hot milky drink or reading a page or two from their book, and using lavender oils or a room or pillow spray with essential oils...