A sleeping expert has shared 15 reasons why you may be lying awake at night staring at the clock, and how you can stop it. Millions of people across the world suffer with sleeping issues – with insomnia being one of them.

Sadly, whilst sleep can be affected bu a number of factors such as stress from that day, over a long period of time, inadequate sleep – usually 7 hours or less – “increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease”. Not only that, but “poor sleep is also associated with sluggish reaction time, memory lapses, and a higher risk of headaches, stomach issues, and sore joints”, reveals Harvard Health.

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder and is defined by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or getting a restful sleep. People affected may struggle to drift off, experience frequent nighttime awakening or endure restless sleep.

Common symptoms of insomnia can include:

There are many factors that could be contributing to your insomnia – and you may not even know it. Your day and nighttime habits which could be affecting your sleep could be:

You may have chronic insomnia, which happens at least three nights per week for three months or more. Some common causes of chronic insomnia include:

Harvard explain that the general rule of thumb is that if you’re aged between 18 to 60, you need to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night. People aged 61 to 64 need 7 to 9 hours and those ages 65 and older need 7 to 8 hours.

Children, however, need more, with toddlers (ages 1 to 2 years) requiring 11 to 14 hours of sleep per day (including naps). Kids aged 3 to 5 should get 10 to 13 hours (including naps).

Meanwhile school-age children, ages 6 to 12, need nine to 12 hours. Teenagers need eight to 10 hours of sleep.

You need to try and establish a regular sleep schedule, making sure that you sleep and wake up at the same time very morning and night. The sleep experts also urge people to “avoid heavy eating before bedtime.”

They also suggest:

You can also contact your GP to discuss options to see whether you could benefit from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or prescription medications.

If you’re thinking about melatonin, this many not be a good option according to Harvard Health. They explain: “This sleep hormone is not actually recommended for treatment of insomnia. It is used to treat disorders of sleep timing. However, a medication called Rozerem, which is a melatonin receptor agonist, may help and can be prescribed by your doctor.”

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