One of the most common reasons that we do not get enough sleep is that we simply are not in bed long enough. We do not even give ourselves the opportunity to have the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep.

Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule is a good place to start for those wanting more shut eye. Most of us have an alarm to get up in the morning but we would also benefit from having an alarm to go to bed at night. Rather than setting an alarm for a time that feels like a good bedtime, you should calculate the time. Your alarm should be set 8.5 hours before you intend to get up. If for example you get up at 6am, wind the clock back 8.5 hours and set your evening alarm for 9.30pm. Do not make the mistake of setting your evening alarm for when you should be going to sleep (10pm in this example). You need to allow time to finish your show, have a shower and brush your teeth – or whatever your night-time routine involves.