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Are you finding life a bit of struggle lately and getting to sleep at night an even greater struggle? There are times when too much on our plate can cause us to lie in bed at night worrying about it all instead of getting a relaxing good night's sleep.

So what can you do to make drifting off to sleep easier?

Sometimes just making a few simple changes in how we prepare for sleep can make all the difference, here are a few simple suggestions that may help …

• Close all curtains etc and make your home dark earlier at night than you usually do (you are tricking your brain to begin the wind-down towards bed-time earlier in the evening giving you a head start).
• Spend the evening doing restful activities such as reading or watching TV rather than a visit to the gym so your body is in a more relaxed state.
• Have some carbs for supper before bed such as bread, pasta or biscuits, it is a long time till morning and if you are hungry while sleeping this will not make it a restful experience. Twelve hours could pass between your evening meal and breakfast. If you are hungry while asleep this will not help you to stay asleep.
• Don’t have tea or coffee before bed, have a drink of warm milk with a spoon of honey. Drinks with lots of sugar or additives are not conducive for a good nights sleep.
• Once in bed, try to relax by slowly relaxing all your sets of muscles from your toes right through your body, ending with your head and face. Especially your face as that is where any tension will show if you are feeling stressed so work through all your face muscles while imagining the tension you feel is soft clouds slowly drifting away from your body.
• Focus on how your body feels as it is becoming relaxed, feel your heart gently beating, you breathing slow and relaxed. Try concentrating on slowing your breathing even further, let your body breath for you, don’t ‘try’ to do it – your body does know how to!
• Think of a relaxing colour such a soft pink or a lavender and close your eyes and try to see it, other colours may appear at first but aim for gentle waves of soft colour.
• Roll your eyes gently upwards three times, this will help trigger a sleep chemical in your body which happens naturally when you fall asleep.

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