What's keeping you awake?

1. Depression

Sixty percent of depression sufferers also have insomnia or problems sleeping.

Jane Bozier, a mental health nurse and sleep expert, says, ‘Depression can cause disturbed sleep in a range of ways: you may struggle to get up in the mornings and feel you are in a fog all day'.

'In contrast, others are unable to sleep, and may wake up several times in the night, or fall asleep quickly, but wake early.’

TRY: If you think you may suffer from depression, talk to your GP.

If you struggle with slowing your thoughts down, try Dodow Sleep Aid, £44 from Sodasays.co.uk – this bedside device uses a pattern of gentle light on the ceiling to guide breathing from 11 to six breaths per minute, calming your nervous system and lulling you off to sleep.

2. Prostate

If your partner is up and down in the night to visit the loo, he could have an enlarged prostate.

‘He may have the urge to urinate, but not be able to empty his bladder fully,’ says Jane.

TRY: An enlarged prostate may be nothing to worry about, but a trip to the doctor is essential to rule out prostate cancer.

It’s the most common cancer in men, affecting one in six.

Thankfully, it is one of the cancers with the highest survival rate.

3. Arthritis

‘Arthritis may increase the time it takes to get comfy enough to fall asleep, and once asleep, movement can cause pain that wakes you up,’ says Jane.

In fact, 80% of sufferers have difficulty sleeping.

A lack of sleep can also cause a worsening of symptoms in the day, so it may feel like an endless cycle.

TRY: Soothe joints before bed with a heat pack for 15-20 mins, or have a warm bath to relax muscles.

You could try a cold treatment to reduce swelling – try freezing a bottle of water and rolling it over the painful area or alternate the hot and cold treatments.

4. Menopause

‘The biggest sleep problem for menopausal women is battling with a body that isn’t regulating a constant temperature,’ says Jane.

Sleep problems increase threefold, with hot flushes, night sweats and chaotic hormones to blame.

TRY: Choose cotton or linen sheets and avoid memory foam mattresses, which trap heat.

You could also invest in a cooling gel inlay for your pillow, like the JML Chillmax, £11.99 from Amazon, which keeps you cool while you sleep.