Over the last few weeks I've noticed a common issue arising with clients - struggling to fall asleep.

And this is something I've had to deal with too - more times than not the main problem is clearing your mind, and unwinding from the day. So here's some ideas for you to explore if you also suffer from hours of lying in bed but not catching any Zs!

Creating a Bedtime Routine
Scheduling in sleep may sound weird, but you will not regret it once you start! Start by scheduling the time you go to bed every night at the same time - give yourself 90 minutes - 1 hour to unwind, implement self care and remove any blue light screens from your environment. If you lead a busy life and need reminding pop an alarm on your phone so you never miss your bedtime routine. Try reading a book, or doing a guided meditation instead of scrolling on your phone!

*Extra tip: dim the lights in your house when the sun goes down to help promote your natural circadian rhythm

Removing caffeine early in the day
Caffeine has such a massive impact on our health, so reducing the amount can also improve your stress response as well as your sleep. If you love a coffee or black tea during the day, try to limit these drinks from 2 hours after you wake up, and 12pm. Drinking caffeine as soon as you wake up, or part of your morning routine can inhibit your natural wake/sleep rhythm and drinking too late in the day means the effects of the caffeine will still be affecting you when you go to bed.

If you're trying to go coffee free - alternatives like decaf can help the process, or natural cacao gives you a feeling of vitality without the nasty jittery feelings of coffee.

Limiting your alcohol & sugar in the evening
Give yourself a few hours between having a glass of wine or sugary snack to going to sleep. Giving your blood sugar time to stabilise will help you fall and stay asleep.

Putting pen to paper
This is my favourite tip... and it may not sound up your street but do give it a try! When you have a mind full of busy thoughts and you can feel the stress of tomorrow overwhelming you, grab a notebook and starting writing down any and ALL of the thoughts going on in your head. The physical practice of pen and paper helps your brain process these thoughts, and literally get them out of your mind and out on to the page. This also means in the morning you have your notes to go back to if you are worried you might forget something important.

• Of course there are many other ways to help with sleep, but these are my favourite natural, non-invasive tips everyone can try.
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