Insomnia can be one of the worst symptoms of Post Natal Depression. If you cannot be sure of a good night's sleep when you are already exhausted it is easy to let your lack of sleep dominate your every waking moment. As the evening draws to a close you may be filled with dread at the prospect of another sleepless night. Here are a few strategies which can help you to cope:

Rule No.1
Do NOT have access to a watch or other means of telling the time while you are in bed otherwise you will probably be tempted to check the time when you wake up, or if you haven't fallen asleep you'll probably keep looking at your watch thinking, "Oh God, it's 3am and I'm still awake, that's 3 hours I've been awake for now, only 4 more and it'll be morning etc, etc." This is not helpful thinking. If you don't have access to a watch you won't be able to calculate how long you lay awake, what time it was when you woke up or how long you have left to get some sleep before morning. When morning comes you won't spend your time thinking "I only had 3 hours sleep last night..." because you won't know! You can then get on with the day and forget your sleep until the next night.

Rule No.2
Have a book next to your bed. If you wake up and feel you can't get back to sleep, don't just lie there, turn the light on and read a few pages until you start to feel sleepy. Make the book a hefty tome. A bodice ripper is not the answer here. Something with a complicated plotline or a book on the history of Britain is the sort of thing which will help you to switch off.

Rule No.3
Do not eat late at night

Rule No.4
Keep your bedroom for sleep only - no TV, no eating in bed - so that your mind associates your bedroom with sleep

Rule No.5
Do not sleep in your bedroom during the day as your mind may get confused about when it should be having it's long sleep - rest during the day on a sofa or perhaps on a different bed. When your nighttime sleeping pattern is restored and you are confident about your sleep do try to get a nap during the day to ensure you don't get over tired.

Rule No.6
Get up when you wake up unless it is before 6-7am. You must try to keep your body clock attuned to its natural rhythms which means rising and going to sleep as you used to.

Helpful Tips

• Have a piece of Rose Quartz to hand and if you really can't sleep try clutching it in one hand or placing it under your pillow. Some people find this helps them to sleep. You should rinse the stone in water before using it and visualise yourself having a deep restful sleep. Wash the stone periodically after the initial wash to keep it cleansed of negative energy

• Have some Bach Rescue Remedy available. If your heart is racing try some Rescue Remedy on your tongue and it should calm you down.

• Have a glass of water at your bedside to sip if you get thirsty but DO NOT drink after 7pm as this may result in you waking in the night to go to the loo

• If you are on medication keep it downstairs so that your sleep is nothing to do with your medication - if you are taking sleeping tablets put the exact dose next to your bed in advance - perhaps ask your partner or someone else to keep your medication with them at night

• If your problem is waking in the middle of the night, try going to the loo and getting back into bed as this may be all you need to get back to sleep, even if you don't think you need the loo

• If there is something on your mind try talking about it if your partner is willing to be woken up, or alternatively write it down on a piece of paper and then put the paper in a different room and get back into bed

• Try a lavender bath or putting a drop of lavender or marjoram on your pillow edge before you go to sleep