Can't find the Land of Nod? Follow our 60-minute countdown to an instant knockout

1. 10pm - CLEAR OUT
It's your bedroom, not the electronics department at Harvey Norman. Toss out your laptop and your bedside TV. "When you eliminate stuff that isn't related to sleep, your brain associates the room only with sleep," says Dr William Dement, author of The Promise Of Sleep.

2. 10:30pm - CHILL OUT
"Take a hot bath half an hour before you turn in," says Dement. "This actually cools you down by pulling blood nearer to your skin, lowering your core temperature and promoting sleep. And wear socks in bed. Warm feet cause blood vessels to enlarge and disperse heat." Naturally, they also make you irresistible to your girlfriend!

3. 10:45pm - DRINK UP
Drink a cup of warm milk. "It's loaded with tryptophan, which triggers the release of your body's sleep hormone serotonin," says Cath Collins, chief dietitian at St George's Hospital, London.

4. 10:55pm - SWITCH OFF
Install curtains. Darkness floods your brain with melatonin - sleepy juice. "But if it's too dark in the morning, you struggle to wake," says Dr Chris Idzikowski, author of Beating Insomnia. So avoid blackout shades.

5. 11pm - TURN IN
Like many things, it's all about position. "If you lie on your side, your spine should be straight. On your back, it should maintain a natural curve," says Professor Chiara Portas, from the London Sleep Clinic. Invest in a mattress that provides deep, orthopaedically correct support as well as comfort.