So, you thought you were doing a good thing going to bed at 10pm, ready for your early start at 7am. Problem is it feels like you've been lying there for hours. The alarm goes off and you feel like you haven't slept all night. You have of course, but only maybe for a few hours. You've been awake more than you've been asleep and you go to work drained.

Maybe if you'd kept to the old schedule of going to bed at midnight and surviving with only 5 or 6 hours sleep, it would have been more than you had when you went to bed with good intentions! So how do we sleep better and faster, how do we stay asleep?

There are many different ideas and suggestions out there. After we have tried all of them (and none have worked), we perhaps need to turn to science. In preparation for how to sleep better and faster you need to ensure your surroundings are mood appropriate and relaxed. Check that the room temperature is not too hot or cold and the lights are dimmed or switched off.

You might want to consider installing one or more of our comprehensive range of BlocOut™ made to measure blackout blinds. They darken rooms during the day or night and are manufactured in a vast range of colours and patterns to complement the décor of any room or style. It’s very important to have the right mood and lighting when you're trying to sleep better and faster.

If you read books such as Relax & Win: Champion Performance, you’ll discover a technique historically used by soldiers in the US military. It claims to guarantee sleeping better and faster, even if you are an avid-worrier or restless sleeper, by consciously relaxing each part of your body and quieting your mind.

After just a few short weeks of practice many people believe this technique is useful for those of us struggling drift off to and stay asleep. Here's how:

Start by relaxing the muscles around your face. Begin with your brain, moving onto the muscles around your eyes, cheeks, jaw and tongue.

Next drop your shoulders down as low as you can, relax your upper arm and then lower arm, one by one on each side.

Exhale (breathe out), relaxing the chest muscles and abdomen. Move onto the legs, thighs and then calve muscles. Wait for 10 seconds of this relaxation state and clear your mind. Imagine a cool breeze through some trees or a relaxing lake or beach. Go to your happy place!

While having a 96% success rate, this method still may not be for everyone. It is scientifically proven that meditation and mindfulness techniques help to improve sleeplessness, but it’s just a matter of finding a simple routine that works for your and sticking with it.