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 sleep is a normal biological process, and we can’t avoid it – even the worst insomniacs in the world will sleep. So what we say to reassure people is that you will sleep, you do sleep, and the problem you’ve got is that you’re worrying too much. In that situation, you’ve got to stop thinking about it.” 

Getting adequate sleep can feel like an impossible catch-22 – we’re supposed to prioritise sleep in our lives, but not so much that we’re obsessing over it. How is that even possible? Lee says that it’s important to remember that our circadian rhythms (our natural sleep-wake cycle) work in 90-minute increments. So if you’re not sleepy, get up and do something else until you are. And, crucially, don’t stress or assume it’s the end of the world. “If you’re not getting to sleep within 20 minutes, there’s no point beating yourself up. Just get up and get out of your bedroom and do something distracting for half an hour.”