Sleep

Good sleep habits do more than most people expect: keep regular hours, wind down for an hour before bed, keep the bedroom dark, quiet and cool, and avoid caffeine, alcohol, big meals and screens late in the evening. Daylight and exercise during the day help too — just not vigorous exercise close to bedtime.

They can help with short spells of poor sleep. Nytol One-A-Night, Sominex and Phenergan Night contain sedating antihistamines that help you drop off, while Nytol Herbal uses traditional ingredients such as valerian and hops. They're for occasional, short-term use — they don't fix the underlying cause — and our pharmacist can help you choose.

It can — sedating antihistamines stay in the body for some hours, so some people feel groggy the next morning. Don't drive or use machinery if you feel drowsy, and avoid alcohol, which makes the effect stronger. If next-day drowsiness is a problem for you, ask our pharmacist about alternatives.

See your GP if poor sleep has gone on for months, it's affecting your mood, work or daily life, or sleep aids haven't helped. Get advice too if you snore heavily and gasp or stop breathing during sleep — that can be sleep apnoea, which needs proper assessment rather than a sleeping tablet.