Eyes open wide. Insomnia is a particular problem for populations from the most advanced cultures in the world. For example in Italy alone around nine million people are chronic sufferers. Problems in sleeping, though, even in less serious cases, is even more prevalent: in Italy alone more than one in three people sometimes lie awake in bed without being able to fall asleep, or wake up during the night unable to go back to sleep.

If sleep eludes you... it's definitely a problem, as to achieve wellness movement is fundamental but proper rest is of equal importance. In fact it's now well known that sleeping little or badly or even not sleeping at all translates into irritability and tiredness the following day and a distinct drop in physical and intellectual performance. 

Chemist to the rescue? The most used sleeping pills have a hypnotic effect and as a negative side effect influence the respiratory apparatus. Obviously the quality of sleep produced is not comparable to natural rest, then there's the poor lucidity experienced the following morning and, worst of all, the addiction that, in the long term, these tranquillizers can cause.

Alternative remedies. A change of lifestyle can often result in giving up sleeping pills. Today specialists treat a third of all cases with alternative methods: relaxation or psychological support treatments or diet and physical exercise advice.

Walking your way to…sleep. Be careful, though, to do sport at the right time of day: during late evening, after dinner, the soporific effects of muscular activity disappears and is transformed into the opposite. Physical effort triggers vegetative processes (increased heart rate and body temperature) that for several hours can hinder proper sleep. After dinner the only activity that can easily encourage sleep is a relaxing, gentle walk, to help digestion.

Good habits. Follow our practical tips to encourage a good night's sleep: 

• Just enough food. Eating too much at dinner is not recommended as it acts negatively on sleep, causing slow and laborious digestion, which in turn produces an agitated night and sometimes insomnia. On the other hand it's not a good idea to go to bed on an empty stomach as gastric juices as still released and tend to generate acidity.
• Relaxing tryptophan. This is a substance found mostly in cheese, bananas, red wine and chocolate and helps encourage sleep as it is transformed into seratonin, the relaxation neuro-transmitter.
• Alcohol alert. If drunk in small quantities alcohol can have a mild soothing effect on the nervous system; in excess it provokes a state of psycho-motor stimulation.
• Cotton or linen sheets. Natural fibres encourage perspiration: for improved body heat regulation it's best to be covered with sheets made of these fabrics. 
• Mental approach. If sleep has come and gone, or doesn't appear at all, it's much better to get up and read a newspaper in the sitting-room, switch on the TV or make a hot drink. Keeping calm should be the main priority. 
• Don't make it up. The same goes for the following morning: instead of staying in bed to the latest possible minute trying to make up lost sleep, it's better to wake up 15 minutes earlier and have an invigorating shower with a fresh, fragrant shower gel, have a good breakfast and drink a cup of coffee. In other words, start the day as if nothing is wrong, not obsessed with the hours of sleep you've lost.
• Ritual drinks. The sedative effects of camomile, lime and valerian are well known.  Containing considerable quantities of calcium (with its balancing and sedative effect on the nervous system) milk is equally efficient.
• Caffeine concerns. Coffee is not the ideal drink for those with problems falling asleep. Remember that caffeine is not just found in coffee but also in tea, cocoa and all drinks with a cola base. 
• Go to bed at the same time. It's recommended to try to always go to bed at more or less the same time, following some sort of relaxing ritual.  It has also been proved that having sex produces biochemical changes in the body that tend to encourage sleep.