Create a sleeping pattern

“You might need to catch up on some sleep but as a rule, don’t let it go over an hour either side of what it used to be, otherwise your body is going to be out of its circadian alignment. It varies on the person, but generally we need between seven and a half and nine and a half hours of sleep per 24-hour period. You don’t have to do this in a single eight-hour slot. Before the industrial revolution we used to sleep midnight to 5am and then have a long nap in the afternoon, so whatever works for you – but stick to it.”

Establish strict routines that mimic the life we had pre-corona

“Get up and change out of your lounge wear, have a shower and have your breakfast. Do all the things you did before. Similarly with your sleep pattern, try and keep to something close to what you had before. Make sure when you’re working, don’t work on your bed, work in a room that’s separate from sleeping. Create that structure.”

Make sure your evening involves both social interaction and a wind down period

“When you finish your work day, make sure you have your wind down period, that’s really important. We need to de-stress our minds. That’s why we’re feeling this way. So, talk to your friends and get some social interaction because that helps us to destress. Read a book, don’t just watch TV, make sure you get time away from screens. Have a bath or a shower before you go to bed. It all helps.”

Can’t wake up in the morning? How to cure a foggy head in lockdown