Sleep expert's top tips to help you get the best rest possible

Growing tired of sleepless nights? It turns out one in five of us struggles to drop off. Here, Dr Michael Breus — aka The Sleep ­Doctor — offers his top tips.

Keep your wake-up time structured — this helps keep your circadian rhythm in alignment. It also lets your body know when to “turn on” the melatonin (a sleep hormone) and when to keep it off.

Wake at the same time every day

Once you get up, it is recommended you drink at least 400ml of water. Sleeping dehydrates you, so you need to hydrate when you wake up

Down water after waking

Doing so will use up your sleep drive and two things can happen — either you fall asleep for a few hours and are up for the rest of the night or you just lie there feeling angry.

Don't go to bed early

Your body releases melatonin only after it has hit a core body temperature peak, and then drops. If it is too hot in the bedroom, there is no drop and subsequently no melatonin.

Keep it cool

Dr Breus recommends stopping your caffeine intake by midday, or by 2pm at the latest. Caffeine has an effect that lasts six to eight hours, so it is important to clear your system in plenty of time.

Cut off the caffeine