We all need different amounts of sleep and most of us, including myself, suffer the occasional night of disturbed rest. The term 'insomnia' is a symptom rather than a disease and can mean difficulty falling asleep, intermittent wakefulness, or feeling as though you've had an unrefreshing sleep. Up to 50 per cent of us will suffer with insomnia - whether it is short-term (lasting under a week) or chronic (occurring most nights for more than a month).
The key to treating most cases is to understand and manage the cause. One way is to improve your 'sleep hygiene' or, in other words, to alter lifestyle factors which may contribute to sleepless nights, such as smoking, drinking alcohol or caffeine, and eating late. Your sleep environment is also important. For instance, some researchers believe that too much heat may disrupt our natural cooling mechanism which prepares the body for sleep.
Stress is another significant cause of insomnia. Personally, I find that writing down any worries I have to deal with the next day prevents them from resurfacing in the early hours. Exercise is a good stress-buster too, but make sure you do it at least four hours before bedtime, otherwise the endorphins released may keep you awake.
There are also over-the-counter treatments that might help. Nytol is a sedative antihistamine which, if taken ten to 15 minutes before you go to bed, should give you a wake-free night. It can cause a hangover effect though and, as it makes you drowsy, it's best not to take it if you have to get up at, say, 5am as you'll feel awful for the rest of the day. Nytol isn't addictive, but it is only meant for occasional use. Prescription sleeping tablets (such as Zolpidem) can, on the other hand, be addictive and have side effects such as headaches and diarrhoea, so should only be used as a short-term solution.
Importantly, insomnia can be one of the first signs of depression and some other physical health problems, such as sleep apnoea (abnormal breathing while asleep) and asthma. So, if none of the above helps, discuss the problem with your GP.

Dr Simone Lester is a GP practising in Kent

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) every organ in the body has a two-hour period of maximum activity every 24 hours. Putting this in the context of insomnia, if you can't get to sleep between 11pm and 1am, this indicates that the gall bladder is out of balance, or between 1am and 3am, the liver. Three am to 5am is the time for your lungs and, interestingly, I have seen asthmatics or those suffering with grief wake at this time (prolonged sorrow is associated with the lungs in TCM). Waking between 5am and 7am reflects your colon, and according to Indian medicine is the best time to rise if you wish to correct bowel problems. Whatever time you experience wakefulness, keep a note, as it may help an alternative practitioner understand and treat the underlying causes of your insomnia.
Body pain is another reason why we cannot sleep. After suffering throughout my pregnancy, and to this present day, with a bone problem, sleeping on a firm mattress causes me terrible insomnia. However, I've found relief with a Tempur mattress (visit tempur.com) which moulds to the exact shape and position of the body.
I am a great advocate of having a bath with Dead Sea salts to help deepen sleep, as they contain minerals including potassium and magnesium, the latter being one of nature's finest tranquillisers. Alternatively, I use a base of soothing essential oils in the bathwater. After bathing my toddler in a blend of pure lavender mixed with Little Me Baby Organics Neroli, Rose and Mandarin Soothing Baby Oil (£4.99 for 200ml; visit littlemebabyorganics.co.uk), I just add more water and salt, and relax when he has gone to sleep. In TCM, these oils along with lavender are considered to help sooth the Shen (spirit) at night and aid sleep. There are also many herbal formulas available to help insomnia, some of the favourites being blends of valerian, passiflora, hops and lemon balm, which all have calming and sedative effects.

Jennifer Harper-Deacon is a registered naturopathic physician. For more information visit jenniferharper.com