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Sleep on it ... tips for insomniac workers – live chat

Woman in bed under white blanket
One in three people are regularly affected by insomnia. Photograph: Vladimir Godnik/Getty/fStop

Drooping eyelids, heavy limbs and befuddled brain: there’s nothing more exhausting than having to work when you’ve had a restless night. Yet many of us have trouble getting a good night’s kip: one in three people are regularly affected by insomnia.

Sleep also influences your career. According to research, having more shut-eye can lead to a higher salary, with just one hour extra sleep boosting your pay packet by 4.9%. Another study found that sleeping six hours or less per night produces “performance deficits” – which impact your ability to complete cognitive tasks.

So if sleeping soundly is best for your career, what’s the best way to get more rest? Professor Richard Wiseman, author of Night School: Wake up to the power of sleep, advises distracting your mind before bed.

“Research suggests you will fall asleep quickly if you tire your mind. Try counting backwards from 100 in threes. Or, if you’re not good with numbers, think of a category and then come up with an example of that category for each letter of the alphabet,” he says. Regular exercise, mindfulness meditation and switching off electronic devices before bedtime have also been shown to help.

So, if you often struggle to fall sleep and are looking for more tips on how to get a good night’s rest, join us on Wednesday 26 July from 1–2.30pm BST for a live chat with our expert panel. We’ll be discussing:

  • Tips to help you fall asleep.

  • Ways to beat insomnia or broken sleep.

  • How sleep affects your work.

The Q&A takes place in the comments section below this article. Taking part is easier than ever: create a free Guardian account or log in using your Twitter or Facebook profile to comment. Alternatively, you can tweet us @GuardianCareers or email your questions to charlotte.seager@theguardian.com who can post them for you.

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