A GP told us exactly how to fall asleep (and stay asleep).

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Here, we're tackling the full spectrum of women's health concerns — from fertility and sleep to mental wellbeing, skin health, and essential health checks.

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A good night's sleep is something we all crave, and the benefits of sleep to our cognition, mood and physical health are immense.

Quality sleep allows our brains to commit learning to memory, our muscles to recover, our immune system to replenish, our cardiovascular system to rest and our hormones to regulate.

The amount of sleep we need changes with age: school-age children are recommended to get at least nine hours of sleep a night, teens are between eight and ten, and adults are advised to have eight to nine hours.

Yet many of us struggle to get the required amount of sleep each day and disturbances to sleep are common.

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The information below provides an understanding of sleep cycles, gives tips on sleep hygiene and provides practical strategies for falling asleep and staying asleep through the night.

Common sleep disruptors are discussed, as well as advice on when to seek help from your doctor for persistent sleep issues.

What you need to know about sleep cycles.

Our circadian rhythm is a 24-hour sleep-wake cycle that aligns with day and night. The light of day and the darkness of night stimulate the release of various hormones in the body.

The effect of these hormones on the brain makes us feel alert during the day and sleepy once the sun goes down.

Consistency in our sleep routine will ensure our circadian rhythm is maintained and assist in restorative sleep each night.

Once we are asleep, we go through several sleep-cycles each night.

A typical night's sleep will have four to six cycles with an average sleep-cycle lasting 90 minutes.

The following four stages are repeated each cycle:

Stage 1: A light sleep that occurs when we first fall asleep that usually lasts for no more than 10 minutes.

Stage 2: Sleep becomes deeper as the muscles relax, temperature drops and our heart rate and breathing slow down. This stage lasts for up to 30 minutes.

Stage 3: The 'deep sleep' stage - the most restorative phase of sleep, with an average duration of 20-40 minutes.

Stage 4: The rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stage where dreaming occurs with increased brain activity, that can last from as little as 10 minutes and up to an hour.

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How to create the perfect sleep environment.

There may be times in our lives where creating the ideal sleeping environment isn't possible, but the following tips can be helpful to lull you off each night and keep you sleeping until morning:

1. Temperature: A room should be on the cooler side with a recommended temperature between 15-19 degrees Celsius. Circulating air, such as with a fan, can also aid in keeping us sleeping for longer.

2. Darkness: Keeping the room dark and free from direct or ambient light is crucial for the production of melatonin, a hormone that encourages sleep. Avoiding screens at least an hour before bedtime is important, as well as using dimmable lights for reading.

3. Noise: Quietness allows us to fall asleep and stay asleep. Many prefer an environment free from all noise - you may benefit from earplugs - while others find masking disturbing noises with white or green noise helpful.

4. Bedding: Comfortable bedding is a must; invest in a good quality mattress and pillows, and breathable sheets and quilts.

Techniques to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.

Any technique that aids in this relaxation is useful for falling asleep and staying asleep, including meditation and mindfulness, guided muscle relaxation, breathing techniques and imagery or word games that distract the mind (for example, the classic 'counting sheep' strategy).

If you are looking to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep, your GP may recommend engaging with certain therapies to target sleep, as well as provide practical strategies to aid sleep.

These strategies include:

Stimulus control: Avoiding non-sleep activities in the bedroom, going to bed only when feeling sleepy, getting out of bed if not asleep within 15-20 minutes to engage in an alternative activity (such as reading) and only returning to bed when feeling sleepy.

Sleep restriction: This sounds counterintuitive, but is proven to work. It involves restricting sleep duration to the average time a person feels they are sleeping each night and gradually extending this time as sleep improves.

Sleep hygiene: A term we've all become familiar with relating to optimising our environment and behaviours to promote quality sleep. There are some more tips on this below.

Common habits disrupting your sleep.

Sleep hygiene refers to implementing a consistent sleep routine and is an essential tool to fixing sleep issues.

If able, going to bed and waking up at the same time each day will regulate a natural sleep-wake cycle.

Understandably, this can be impossible if you're a shift worker or have small children in the home, so be kind to yourself if this isn't possible for you at this time.

The following tips also form part of sleep hygiene practices and are useful for ensuring a good night's sleep:

1. Avoid caffeine after lunchtime.

2. Reduce alcohol consumption or consider an alcohol-free period in order to reset your sleep.

3. If you are a smoker, speak to your doctor about support in quitting, as nicotine impairs sleep.

4. Regular exercise is important for sleep, however, do not do any strenuous exercise two hours prior to your scheduled bedtime.

5. Same goes for eating dinner; try to have your meal at least two hours prior to bed.

6. Put devices away and switch the TV off an hour prior to bedtime.

7. Avoid visible clocks in your bedroom while you are sleeping.

When should I seek professional help for sleep problems?

See your GP any time you think sleep quantity or quality is impairing your quality of life and ability to complete daily activities.

There could be an underlying cause for your impaired sleep, such as medical issues, mental health concerns or medication you may be taking.

Your GP may choose to do a blood test or a sleep study to investigate your sleep issues further.

They can also provide information about sleep hygiene and sleep therapies, as well as refer you to a sleep psychologist or sleep physician if needed.

What about medication for sleep?

Your doctor may prescribe you a short course of sleeping medication.

However, it is important not to rely on these for sleep every night as their effectiveness lessens with constant use.

For some, medication is a useful tool in the treatment of sleep concerns when used responsibility, and your doctor can discuss options with you in more detail.

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Read more from Dr Rebecca Goadby:

• Everything you need to know about 'fertility windows'.

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• The difference between burnout and stress (and how to solve it).

Feature image: Getty.

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