Avoid stimulants and alcohol | Establish a bedtime routine | Get the conditions right | Do gentle muscle relaxation | Go to bed when you are sleepy

Many of us firmly believe we need more sleep. However, studies show that our sleep habits, despite our long working hours and round-the-clock home entertainment opportunities, are no worse than they ever were.

Emine Saner: A study by the Sleep Centre in Edinburgh says January is the most sleepless month of the year. The same research has named 3am as Anxiety Hour, when up to 8.5 million adults are regularly jolted awake.

Bedtimes are a battleground - and not just for children. The news that George Bush goes to bed at 7.45pm got Tim Dowling thinking - when is an acceptable time to hit the pillow? Does it matter if you retire at a different time from your bedmate? And what do our sleeping habits say about us?

First there was our looks. And then our weight. Now, the new Western obsession is sleep - or a lack of it. Last week alone there were four reports on how we are all suffering a sleep crisis. Jo Revill, health editor, reveals new research that lifts the lid on how much we really need.