For many, getting a good night’s rest has never been a guarantee. In the digital age, switching off from work at the end of the day – and resisting the urge to doomscroll long into the night – demands considerable willpower. And that’s before we consider how worries over everything from global warming to an increasingly fraught political stage were already keeping people up at night.

Insomnia was recognised as a significant issue before Covid-19 started to spread, but the outbreak introduced new levels of disruption and anxiety into our lives. Even if we’re exhausted, for lots of us, sleep still doesn’t come naturally. A 2020 study by the University of Southampton found that the number of people suffering problems with their sleep has risen from one in six to one in four and those of Black and minority ethnic heritage and keyworkers are affected even more.

In the middle of a global health crisis, whether you’re sleeping well might not seem like the most pressing concern, but the consequences of not getting enough shut-eye can be serious for our mental and physical wellbeing. “It can affect everything from immune function and long-term issues such as heart disease to our cognitive functioning,” says Dr Nicole Moshfegh, a clinical psychologist who specialises in insomnia and author of The Book Of Sleep: 75 Strategies To Relieve Insomnia. “While we sleep we build and retain memories, and it helps with things such as concentration and our ability to problem solve. We also know that insomnia can impact our social functioning, affecting our ability to recognise social cues and regulate our moods.”

If you suffer from chronic insomnia, it should always be brought to the attention of a medical professional. But if you’re experiencing a bout of tossing and turning, there is a lot you can do to prevent it becoming a persistent problem. Here – courtesy of Dr Moshfegh and Dr Neil Stanley, an expert in sleep and author of How To Sleep Well – are five tips to avoid a restless night.

For many of us, a routine has become a distant memory of pre-pandemic life. Time, and how we pass it, has altered drastically. Without the commute or school run to give the day structure, it’s been easy to let things slip, whether through late-night Netflix binges or setting your alarm just a few minutes before your first Zoom call. Though the amount of rest we need varies from person to person, consistency is key to a good night’s sleep. “The body craves routine,” says Dr Stanley. “It doesn’t have to be your old routine, you just need to be getting up at the same time every day, including weekends. You start to wake about 90 minutes before you actually awaken. Your body needs to know when to start preparing so you feel at your best.”

It can be tempting to make the most of working from home and stay in bed all day (a novelty that should surely have worn off by now), but using the bedroom for anything other than sleep or sex can have a negative impact on the quality of sleep we get. “Our brains will tend to start associating the bedroom with work and stress instead of sleep,” says Dr Moshfegh, and this can cause problems when we try to get some rest. If your situation allows, she advises working in another room and trying to get outside to exercise or stretch your legs every day as a way to build your sleep drive.

It’s easier said than done when faced with the level of uncertainty the past year has thrown at us, but managing anxiety levels is important to avoid any nagging thoughts as you try to get to sleep. Dr Moshfegh suggests addressing whatever’s worrying you during the day by calling a friend or family member, or seeking out therapy options. “It can also be useful to write about it, so it’s not coming up in the middle of the night,” she says. Allowing your thoughts out on the page prevents them from festering, while meditation, breathing exercises and, again, a spot of exertion are similarly useful first ports of call when it comes to dealing with mild anxiety. And, as with other chronic conditions, if these feelings become unmanageable or start to impact your day-to-day, it’s vital to seek professional help.

There are some people, says Dr Stanley, for whom the best way to get to sleep is to drift off in front of the latest series, but generally it’s advisable to avoid anything too stimulating before getting into bed. That includes steering clear of more obvious things such as caffeine and nicotine, but also resisting the urge to check your email one last time. “It doesn’t matter what you do,” he says. “It could be drinking tea, doing meditation or reading, but you should make the time to quieten the mind for about 45 minutes before you get into bed.” It is also helpful to create an environment that is considered calming and conducive to sleep – somewhere quiet, softly lit and, ideally, free from screens.

“You can’t will yourself to sleep,” says Dr Stanley. “If you find you’re struggling, don’t lie in bed tossing and turning, getting even more frustrated.” He suggests giving it about 20 minutes before getting up and doing something relaxing in another room, such as reading a book or listening to soothing music. When you start to feel sleepy again – look out for natural cues such as your eyes closing involuntarily – you can get back into bed. It’s an important piece of psychological trickery, says Dr Moshfegh. “Just as it is with working in bed, you want to avoid your brain associating being in bed with not sleeping, because that could turn into a chronic problem.”