The NHS says people could benefit from playing 'mind games' in bed when lying awake at night. While it's expected to experience sleep difficulties from time to time, struggling with sleep on a regular basis is known as insomnia.

The NHS says: "It is a common condition, often very frustrating and may lead to anxiety, low mood and feeling exhausted during the day." There are various causes, but it often leaves people lying awake overnight rather than falling asleep. In these instances, playing mind games could help people to fall asleep.

As highlighted in an advice booklet shared by the Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: "Mind games and muscle relaxation can help settle a 'racing mind' and allow the body to rest."

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The NHS Trust explained: "If you have insomnia, it can often feel like your mind is racing – your mind goes from thinking about one thing to another. Sometimes this can be about things that you have done during the day, or something that is worrying and stressful.

"Even if you don’t feel your mind is racing, it can still be difficult to switch off. In order to distract your mind and allow it to relax and settle so you can go to sleep, concentrating on something different, that is not at all important, and not too exciting or frightening, can help."

While many people might be familiar with the idea of counting sheep, the NHS said it's better to choose a more engaging task, given that counting sheep is easy to do. Instead, it's advised to try a 'mind game' that's 'more likely to distract the mind from ruminating on unhelpful thoughts, and allow it to settle and drift off to sleep.'

• Choose a number, such as 100, then count backwards by seven.


• Pick a category, such as animals, then think of an example for every letter in the alphabet.


• Visualise a continent and name each country on the map.


• Imagine how you would decorate a new home, thinking about furniture, decorations, and colour schemes.


• Think of a relaxing place or object, such as a plant, and focus on the image, imagining what you can see, hear, feel, and taste.

However, the advice said not to stay in bed for longer than 30 minutes if you can't sleep. It's better to leave the room and do something relaxing, such as reading or knitting, and then go back to bed when you are sleepy, according to the NHS Trust.

It's recommended to estimate 30 minutes rather than watch the clock. The NHS says people who regularly lie awake for more than 30 minutes could benefit from going to bed 30 to 60 minutes later.

Always speak to a GP about any health concerns.