Create a restful sleeping environment. Your bedroom should be kept for rest and sleep and it should be neither too hot, nor too cold; and as quiet and dark as possible.

Make sure your bed is comfortable. It's difficult to get deep, restful sleep on one that's too soft, too hard, too small or too old.

Take more exercise. Regular, moderate exercise such as swimming or walking can help relieve the day's stresses and strains. But not too close too bedtime or it may keep you awake!

Cut down on stimulants such as caffeine in tea or coffee - especially in the evening. They interfere with falling asleep and prevent deep sleep. Have a hot milky drink or herbal tea instead.

Don't over-indulge. Too much food or alcohol, especially late at night, just before bedtime, can play havoc with sleep patterns. Alcohol may help you fall asleep initially, but will interrupt your sleep later on in the night.

Don't smoke. Yes, it's bad for sleep, too: smokers take longer to fall asleep, wake more often and often experience more sleep disruption.

Try to relax before going to bed.. Have a warm bath, listen to some quiet music, do some yoga - all help to relax both the mind and body. Your doctor may be able to recommend a helpful relaxation tape, too.

Deal with worries or a heavy workload by making lists of things to be tackled the next day.

If you can't sleep, don't lie there worrying about it. Get up and do something you find relaxing until you feel sleepy again - then go back to bed.

How to keep warm on a cold winter's night Wear night clothes such as pyjamas or a large T-shirt to keep you warm. Natural fibres such as wool, cotton or silk will keep you warmer than synthetic materials.

Have a warm bath just before you go to bed. This will gently warm and relax you to help you feel sleepy.

Have a warming, milky drink.

Try to take some exercise which will get the circulation going to help keep the body warm – but don't do vigorous exercise too close to bed time as you may feel too invigorated to sleep.

Keep the bedroom warm, but not too hot, and free from draughts.

Look for a mattress which has a thicker side for use during the winter. A soft sleeping surface is a better insulator than a flat one. Use a fleecy underblanket to retain the heat.

Choose a duvet with a high tog rating or use several layers of bedding rather than one single layer. Layers will trap warm air and are easily removed if you get too hot.

A hot water bottle is an ideal way to keep warm once in bed. Make sure it has a cover on it to avoid scalding and also so that it won't feel cold in the middle of the night. Electric blankets are ideal. Underblankets will warm the bed up before you retire for the night, while overblankets maintain a constant temperature throughout the night.

Sleeping tips for teenagers
There are several practical hints and tips for parents that may help the teenager with sleep problems. Talking over worries may well help to put them into perspective. Try to impress on the teenager the importance of sleep and the need for at least eight hours' sleep on school nights

encourage regular exercise - 20 minutes three times a week will help

suggest a reduction of caffeine intake (in coke drinks as well as coffee)

point out that eating too much or too little close to bedtime - an over full or empty stomach - may prevent sleep onset, or cause discomfort throughout the night

try and get the teenager into a going to bed routine - suggest that doing the same things in the same order before going to sleep can help

ensure a good sleep environment - a room that is dark, cool, quiet, safe and comfortable

make sure the teenager has a comfortable bed. It may be time to get a new one - and encourage him or her to choose it themselves.

don't give teenagers hand-me-down bedding. A good rule of thumb: if the bed's no longer good for its first user it's not good enough for a teenage child either.

Sleep Tips for Shift Workers

You can help keep your biological clock tuned in to your sleep with anchor sleep. Aim to have at least four hours sleep at the same time every night/morning (e.g. 3-7am). This seems to help keep your sleep clock regular.

Use the weekend or days off to get in some extra "recovery" sleep.

Make sure the sleeping environment is as conducive to rest as possible. A comfortable bed in a dark, well-ventilated room, is essential. And when we say dark, we mean dark - invest in some black out curtains. If you work shoft, you really need to re-set that biological clock. Also, aim to cut out as much extraneous noise if possible: install double glazing; use ear plugs.

Avoid stimulants (eg caffeine), large meals or vigorous exercise for at least 3-4 hours before going to bed. Also, avoid over- the counter sleeping aids which may make you over sleepy when you need to be alert (driving home, for example)

If you have trouble getting to sleep, lavender, passion flower, hops, orange blossom, Scot's pine, camomile and peppermint all claim to promote sleep. And milky night time drinks really do help bring on the Zzzs.

The Romans thought that lettuce was good for sleep, but the crème-de-la-crème "sleep sandwich" has to be a banana, marmite and lettuce buttie: the banana and marmite contain natural substances that help induce sleep.

If you're an owl, you usually go to bed late and get up late, so shift work will be less of a problem than it is for larks, who prefer to get up early and go to bed early. Bright light in the evening ( you can get light bulbs with a much higher lux value than ordinary, domestic bulbs) and avoiding the dawn light by wearing sunglasses can help.

Maximum sleepiness occurs when your biological clock temperature is at its lowest - usually around 4am. Your personal level of alertness is controlled by your biological clock and by how much sleep you have had. Remember sleeplessness leads to poor concentration, thinking, memory, increased irritability and hostility. Alcohol magnifies these effects.

Coping with Jet Lag
Jet lag is the inability to sleep at the right time or being drowsy and sleepy at the wrong time - a mismatch between our biological clocks and the time zone we are in. As a general guide the body takes roughly one day for each time zone travelled to adjust to a new cycle of day and night. So, you can probably travel through three hours without the need for specific counteractive measures as most of us can cope with going to sleep three hours later or earlier than normal once in a while) but more than that might need a bit of help.

As the body clock's natural cycle is slightly longer than a day we find it easier to adjust travelling west, back in time, as it lengthens our day, whereas travelling east shortens it. Difficulties with jet lag can be cured by using light. You need to re-set your body clock. Use 4am (departure point time) as a guide. Exposure to bright light just before this time will delay your clock when going east; exposure to light a couple of hours after that time when going west will advance it.

Here are some other helpful tips for dealing with Jet Lag, compiled by sleep expert Professor Chris Idzikowski (author of Learn to Sleep Well)

The day before your flight, ensure you eat three balanced meals, including at least five servings of fruit or green vegetable and one of protein-rich food eg white fish or tofu.

During the flight set your watch to the local time at your destination. Note what extraordinary time the airline feeds you and try to keep back a roll or biscuit to eat at "normal" mealtimes according to the time at your destination.

Take an eye mask and ear plugs with you. Use the mask and your seat's nightlight to reflect the time at your destination - wear the mask if it is night time where you are going; keep the light on and mask off if it is day time.

Drink plenty of water throughout the flight to prevent dehydration and also to help mobilise your energy reserves for your arrival. Avoid alcohol.

Take regular walks up and down the aisle. Try some simple stretching exercises in your seat - straighten your legs and point and flex your toes; or stretch your arms high above your head. Do both these exercises for one minute every two hours.

When you arrive at your destination use your diet to help you control your wakefulness: high protein meals increase your alertness; high carbohydrate meals will make you feel more sleepy.