How to Fall asleep: Sleep expert Dr. Jay Meadows offers his tips for falling asleep

There’s nothing quite like getting a good night’s sleep, and few things are worse than hearing your alarm clock after hours of restless tossing and turning.

But what can you do if you’ve run out of chamomile tea and lavender soap?

Dr. Jay Meadows—founder and clinical director of The Sleep School and author of The Sleep Book—appears to have helped more than 300,000 people swap nighttime torture for sweet nights of sweet dreams.

Here, he shares his top tips and tricks for how to hit the hay—and do it well.

It includes a selection of simple practical solutions – such as starting a bedtime ritual earlier – or more emotionally challenging ones that include addressing concerns that may be keeping you awake.

Stop all that couch

Start by reducing mental and emotional stimulation and turning off digital devices at least an hour before bed.

Sleep in the same place, whenever possible, and avoid drifting off on the couch before bed. Even if you get the same amount of sleep, one long nap, compared to several short, restless ones, has a more restorative effect on the body.

Once you feel tired, start your bedtime routine. If you repeat a few simple steps each night, your brain will associate this with bedtime and help better prepare your body for sleep.

It could be as simple as having a hot drink, listening to calming music, or doing some stretching.

Set a “go to bed” alarm

Aim to keep your wake-up times within 30 minutes each day to regulate patterns. Stock image used

Irregular sleep patterns can wreak havoc on the body and lead to poor sleep quality, low energy and social lag. Twelve percent of us do not keep track of the time, which leads to delayed sleep. Setting a “go-to-sleep alarm” each day can help keep your sleep on track. Aim to keep your wake-up times within 30 minutes each day to regulate patterns. On weekends, aim to get up no later than 1 hour later than your weekday wake-up time. If you feel tired later in the day, take a 20-minute nap between midday and 3pm.

Deal with your fears

Try categorizing your thoughts by giving them a moniker like “money” and every time they pop into your head quickly turn them into a mental memorization system. Stock image used

Stress is a part of life and financial worries are often unavoidable. If they’re keeping you awake, try categorizing your thoughts by giving them a moniker like “money” and every time they pop into your head, quickly turn them into a mental memorization system instead of getting stuck in a continuous loop.

Create the right environment

Choose a mattress and pillow combination that has the perfect firmness, size, and material for your comfort needs. Stock image used

The Twinings Sleep Statistics shows us that the home environment prevents 14 per cent of the UK population from getting enough sleep. There are five main things you can do to improve this.

• Darkening your bedroom helps tell your body clock that the day is over and triggers the release of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin. Also wear an eye mask and turn off any unwanted standby lights.
• Check the room temperature: ideally it should be a cool 16-17 degrees. Turn off the central heating at night and use multiple layers rather than a single duvet to allow you to adjust your temperature.
• Choose a mattress and pillow combination that has the perfect firmness, size, and material for your comfort needs.
• Reduce noise in your bedroom by using soft, sound-absorbing furnishings such as rugs, heavy drapes, and drapes on the walls. If you struggle, block out unwanted noise with earplugs.
• Improve your bedroom air quality by growing detoxifying plants like aloe vera. Leave the window open to improve ventilation and maintain a stable humidity by avoiding drying wet clothes there.

Scanning the body to fall asleep

You can practice a simple check by accepting that you are awake and paying close attention to where your body makes contact with the bed. Stock image used

If you do wake up at night, try to stay in bed and rest, as it conserves energy, helps repair your body and strengthens memories. Doing housework and turning on appliances at night makes our bodies think it’s morning.

You can practice a simple check by accepting that you are awake and paying close attention to where your body makes contact with the bed.