It can be frustrating when you go to bed early, ready for a solid night’s rest, only to wake up several times.

River sleep it can leave you grumpy, unproductive and of course very tired.

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Small children, loud noises and a restless sleeping partner can set you off wake up at night.

But if none of these affect you, then why can’t you still sleep, undisturbed?

Here we ask the experts to shed some light on why you might be waking up at night, plus simple solutions to help you stop feeling tired all the time.

1. Your sleeping position is wrong

if you sleep in an uncomfortable positionit could make you wake up in pain.

James Leinhardt, the founder of Levitex and expert in sleeping posture, recommends two positions: the Dreamer and the Soldier.

“The dreamer assumes you are lying in a semi-fetal position with your knees bent.

“This is well proven to put the least amount of strain on your spine while you sleep.

“If you can sleep with a pillow between your knees and ankles, it’s even better for better posture and rest.”

As for the Soldier, this involves sleeping on your back with a pillow under your knees, making sure your spine stays in a neutral position.

What’s more, James explains that optimizing your sleeping posture could bring many other benefits to your everyday life.

These include reduced back and neck painby decreasing neck and shoulder tension and improving circulation, until it subsides snoring and improved lung capacity, which can help improve energy levels.

2. You don’t get enough sunlight during the day

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You might not think that daylight can help you sleep, but David Sullivan, health and wellness physiologist at Nuffield Health says that insufficient exposure to natural light can disrupt your circadian rhythm.

“This is your internal body clock that regulates the cycles of when you are alert and sleepy.

“If that rhythm is disrupted, it’s harder to sleep at night.”

Charlie Morleya teacher of lucid dreaming and the author of Dreams of Awakening (Hay House£14.99), explains that a lack of sunlight during the day will affect your production HORMONE melatonin and serotonin, both of which we need to help us sleep well.

To help with hormone production, David suggests spending at least 30 minutes outside each day, especially in the morning.

“Keep your living space bright during the day, and if sunlight is limited (as it often is in winter), try using a light therapy box,” he adds.

“Reduce light exposure in the afternoon and evening by wearing sunglasses outside.

“Before bed, avoid exposure to blue light for 60 minutes, as blue light can disrupt hormone production.”

Charlie adds that since it’s getting dark earlier now, ours melatonin production starts earlier, so you may start feeling more tired earlier in the day.

“Try to go to bed a little earlier, as your body will naturally produce more melatonin and be a little more sleepy than usual.”

3. You have sleep apnea

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right NHS, one of the key symptoms of sleep apnea – where breathing stops and starts while sleeping – wakes up a lot at night.

Other symptoms of sleep apnea include gasping, snorting or choking noises and loud snoring.

Charlie says: “If you have sleep apnea, it can affect the amount of deep sleep you get, which in turn can have a negative impact on your overall health.

“For some, sleep apnea can be a serious condition, so it’s important to get it properly checked out by your GP.”

David says that as well as consulting your GP, you may benefit from sleeping on your side instead of your back while maintaining a healthy body weight.

4. Have a coffee in the afternoon

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A coffee after lunch could impact your sleep, causing you to feel restless and wake up at night.

Charlie says you better not drink coffee after 2 p.m.

“This is because caffeine has a half-life of about five hours. If you drink a coffee at 10:00 AM, it should be out of your system by 8:00 PM.

“If you drink a coffee at 2 p.m., it will be completely metabolized by midnight.”

He adds, “Caffeine can be addictive, so if you’re a moderate to heavy coffee drinker, you may have developed a caffeine tolerance.

“If you drink many cups of coffee in a day, it may not register in your alertness, although it may still affect your sleep at night.”

5. You are stressed

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right Foundation for sleep high stress levels it has been shown to influence the duration of each stage of sleep.

Essentially, our sleep is divided into different sleep stages, including light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep.

When you’re stressed, you may find that you spend less time in deep sleep or wake up more during REM sleep.

Research found that breathing – aka, deliberate breath control – is an effective way to improve stress and mental health.

“By simply breathing much, much slower than usual, you can help yourself stay regular and in your tolerance window, and it can also improve your sleep quality,” suggests Charlie.

David also recommends keeping a journal to write down your thoughts before bed to clear your mind.

6. You eat chocolate after dinner

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The type and quantity of the chocolate you eat could have an impact on your sleep.

David explains: “Chocolate contains caffeine and a natural compound called theobromine, which can stimulate the nervous system making you feel more alert.

“If eaten at bedtime, it can impact the quality of sleep.”

The darker the chocolate, the more caffeine it will contain.

“Avoid chocolate and other caffeinated foods in the afternoon and evening.

“Opt for a light snack if needed, such as fruit or yogurt, or some foods rich in the hormone tryptophan, such as cashews and almonds, which help your body produce serotonin naturally,” suggests David.

7. You drink wine at dinner

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Research found that while alcohol may initially have a sedative effect, “this effect wears off after a few hours, resulting in fragmented and disturbed sleep in the second half of the night.”

David says: “In general, alcohol affects our ability to move efficiently through the stages of sleep where we have the most physical and mental recovery and, similar to the effects of caffeine, it blocks the sleep-promoting brain chemical adenosine.

“Alcohol is also a diuretic, which can increase the likelihood of getting up to use the toilet during the night.”

Try to limit your alcohol consumption to one drink and avoid it in the hours before bed.

Instead, opt for alcohol-free, low-sugar alternatives, or even go for herbal tea.

8. Your joints hurt

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If your muscles or joints have painit can make it difficult to stay comfortable throughout the night, which can cause you to wake up.

David says: “Use supportive pillows to maintain a comfortable sleeping position and consider gentle stretching or physical therapy to relieve joint pain.”

Magnesium creams or a magnesium salt bath may also help.

Try BetterYou’s range of lotions and creams with magnesium.