I need more sleep! | BBC Radio Solent's Lou Hannan

However, less than seven and you don’t want to be around me the next day.

Yep… I’m talking about sleep!

I never realised until recently what a talking point it becomes when you work an early shift.

Regularly getting up now at 4am, when I arrive at work just before 5am, it’s almost like some kind of drug discussion with colleagues…

‘How much did you get?’, ‘I need more’, ‘I hope I get a better night tonight!’

We’ve all had periods of insomnia and for some people it’s a problem which never goes away.

But over the past few months I’ve realised how much I’ve taken shut-eye for granted.

Once your waking hours change, so does the rest of your body clock and not necessarily for the better.

While I find it fairly easy dropping off to sleep at 8pm, staying asleep is a different matter.

I wake up around 11 and then spend the next three hours looking at the clock, stressing as I count down the number of hours until I’ve got to get up, staring at the ceiling while chastising myself for not having painted the bit where there was a leak and then looking at the clock again.

I’ve tried everything – pillow spray before bed (I’ve grown to hate the smell of lavender), relaxing music, counting sheep, a warm bath, a cold bath, a milky drink, reading, not reading.

You name it, I’ve tried it but I still can’t seem to get past that magic three hours of solid kip.

I read with interest a recent report about the rise in the number of so-called bedroom divorces – the number of couples who choose to have separate beds or even bedrooms in order to achieve a decent night’s sleep which, in turn, leads to a happier relationship.

I think it’s a fantastic idea even though I haven’t even got the excuse of having a partner keeping me awake at night.

Also, the 4-7-8 method’s been in the news.

Breathe in for four, hold your breath for seven and breathe out to the count of eight.

All great techniques but I’m still not getting past 11pm.

So, any advice or tips gratefully received.