Getting a good night's sleep is crucial to good health, but if you need help nodding off, forget about counting sheep. According to Britain's Royal College of Psychiatry, when it comes to conquering insomnia, getting up at night and staying busy at something until you feel ready for a night's slumber is a far more effective strategy.
"Sleep is very sensitive to mood," says professor Colin Epsie, a sleep specialist at Glasgow University in Scotland, "and any change in your life can affect your sleep pattern." Other techniques recommended by sleep experts include calming down before bedtime by writing out worries and tasks so as to prevent worrying as you try to fall asleep.
If sleep problems persist, says the Royal College, see a primary care physician and ask for a referral to a sleep disorder clinic.
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To learn more about midlife sleeping habits and therapies, go to Interactive Leonardo: The 40s.
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