Name: Chloe Brotheridge

Age: 32

Profession: Hypnotherapist and anxiety expert

Actual sleep: 7 hours 30 minutes

Ideal amount: 9 hours

3 words to describe your sleep: Comfortable, deep and sometimes noisy (I’ve been a sleep talker ever since I was a child)

Sleep quality: 8.5/10

I love sleep and I love early nights, possibly to the point where it’s a bit annoying for my boyfriend, who’d probably like to stay up and watch a movie! I usually get up at 6am and feel very much like I want to get on with the day. I start my morning with transcendental meditation, a 20-minute mantra meditation I do twice a day. I also practise qigong, so I need quite a lot of time before starting work at 8am.

For the last three months, I’ve been taking a break from alcohol and my desire to stay up late has completely gone - I’m quite boring! Not drinking has also improved the quality of my kip - I wake up less and seem to have a deeper sleep. It’s not for everyone, but cutting alcohol or having a few days where you’re not drinking can be great for sleep.

I also quit caffeine a few years ago and now if I have a coffee I’m really sensitive to it. Cutting it out made me realise just how much your body gets used to caffeine if you consume it regularly. Now, if I accidentally drink something containing caffeine in the afternoon, I’ll be up until two in the morning! In fact, I often advise people with anxiety to cut out caffeine because there’s a strong link between anxiety and caffeine consumption.

Stylist Sleep Diaries: an anxiety expert reveals her relaxing 7-step bedtime routine