Sleep can be the most mercurial element. One night you might drop off as soon as your head hits the pillow; the next, you’re stuck counting sheep or ruminating over all your most embarrassing moments and lifelong regrets until finally dropping off into a fitful sleep sometime beyond 3am. Not being able to fall sleep straight away can be anxiety-inducing, especially when you’ve got an early start the next day.

The issue is sleep latency – the technical term for how long it takes to fall asleep after lights out. “It varies, but on average, a healthy person has a sleep latency between 10 and 20 minutes,” explains Dr Matthew Walker, professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and medical advisor for Oura. “A longer sleep latency could be an indication of insomnia and is also linked to poor sleep quality. This can lead to problems like excessive sleepiness, reduced cognitive function and cardiovascular diseases.” (Just something else to keep you awake at night.)

Sleep expert and physiologist Dr Nerina Ramlakhan believes that certain common lifestyle habits might be partly to blame: “For example, skipping breakfast, drinking too many caffeinated drinks, not hydrating enough with water or not getting enough physical exercise and natural daylight can all have an effect.” She adds that a stressed and anxious mind, particularly from scrolling on social media late at night, can also have an impact.

12 genuinely useful tips from neuroscientists, GPs and insomnia experts to help you fall asleep faster