Welcome back to Stylist’s Sleep Diaries, where we take a deep dive into one of the most important (and elusive) factors in our day-to-day lives: sleep. To help us understand more about it, we invite women to share their habits with our sleep expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan for analysis.

Age: 32

Occupation: TV news producer

How much water do you drink on average per day? Two glasses.

How much caffeine do you drink on average per day? 260mg (for comparison, a latte from Pret contains 180mg caffeine). I have my last Coca-Cola Zero at 4pm.

What time do you wake up in the morning? Between 6.30am and 8am depending on my shift.

What time do you go to bed at night? Between 10pm and 10.30pm.

How often do you exercise? I exercise regularly.

Do you eat breakfast within 60 minutes of rising? No, I usually eat around 10am when I get into work.

My job as a TV news producer keeps me very busy, but over the last five years I’ve found my energy levels really hold me back. I sleep a lot but don’t seem to see the benefits; I’m always tired and often find myself taking an afternoon nap when I can.

While I’m asleep, I’ll often have very vivid dreams which are a collection of people and places I’ve seen the previous day. While I know where these things have come from, the order in which I see them and the overall narrative is a complete mystery.

My start times at work vary throughout the week, but I always finish at 6.45pm every day. After that I’ll usually have a few drinks (I typically have around 18 units throughout the course of a week, although it used to be 30), enjoy some dinner and then watch TV or a film before going to bed; I don’t have any specific wind down routine.

Because I don’t have too much difficulty falling asleep, I’d love to know what I can do to boost my energy levels. I go to bed and wake up at a sensible time, so I don’t know how else to help myself feel more energised. Can you help? 

“You have many of the classic sleep problems – difficulty getting to sleep, restless sleep, teeth grinding – alongside your vivid and bizarre dreams. Don’t worry, these are completely normal – our creativity often opens up when we’re in a dream state, so we find ourselves making strange stories out of the events we’ve experienced in our waking hours.

“However, I suspect that some of your sleep issues and strange dreams could be improved by drastically reducing your alcohol intake. You have cut back from 30 to 18 units per week, but this is still too high given your sleep issues (the NHS recommends no more than 14 units a week). Your last caffeinated drink – a Coca-Cola Zero at 4pm – is also too late, and you need to drink a lot more water and eat breakfast. In short, you need to follow my five non-negotiables.”

She continues: “You say you sleep a lot but you’re still tired, and I’m not surprised. Alcohol really does affect sleep quality and it can affect your dreams. By making a few simple changes you’ll notice a big difference to your sleep quality and vitality.”

Images: Ami O’Callaghan; Dr Nerina Ramlakhan