The Science of Sleep: Why Rest is Your Best Medicine

While you sleep, your body repairs tissue, files away memories and rebalances the hormones that control appetite and stress. Adults who regularly get less than seven hours have higher rates of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and low mood.

The most useful habit is a fixed wake time, weekends included; it anchors your body clock better than anything else. Getting outside into daylight within an hour of waking helps set that clock for the day.

In the evening, protect a wind-down hour: dim the lights, put screens away and do something genuinely relaxing. Keep the bedroom cool, around 18°C, dark and quiet. And watch the chemistry. Caffeine after 2pm and alcohol in the evening both fragment sleep, even when they don't stop you nodding off.

Over-the-counter sleep aids are fine occasionally, but they aren't designed for long-term use and can leave you drowsy the next day. If poor sleep drags on beyond a few weeks, it's worth checking for underlying causes such as sleep apnoea, restless legs or a medication side effect.

Our pharmacists can look through your medicines for anything that might be disturbing your sleep, and tell you when it's time to involve your GP.