A healthy lifestyle 'must incorporate plenty of sleep'

Sleeping properly is "absolutely vital" for a healthy lifestyle, the Sleep Council has said.

Spokesperson Jessica Alexander said that spending enough time asleep in bed was very important and enabled people to cope better with the problems of life.

While admitting that lack of sleep is rarely fatal, she pointed out that it can "certainly pull [people] down on a number of fronts".

A recent study by anti-cramp medicine Crampex found that a quarter of Britons have taken time off work due to exhaustion from lack of sleep.

One-fifth said they regularly get less than five hours sleep a night, with just 21 per cent getting eight hours.

The Sleep Council publishes advice for getting enough sleep, such as getting up and going to bed at roughly the same time each day.

Bedrooms should be kept quiet and dark and at the right room temperature.

Stimulants such as caffeine in tea or coffee should be avoided in the evening, with warm milk or herbal tea as an alternative.

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