If you have trouble switching off at the end of the day and find it difficult to drift off to sleep, then you might want to give meditation or Yoga practice a whirl.

According to Jessica Alexander of the Sleep Council, it's common for people to have sleep problems when they're stressed or overworked.

"In times of worry and with so much negative news in the press on the economy and the future, people are worried about their jobs, they don't know what is going to happen," she explained.

"Obviously that leads to a stressful situation which can lead to difficulties sleeping."

Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to promote restful sleep and help you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to start another day.

Ms Alexander suggested reading a book, listening to music and painting, all of which can help you relax and focus your mind.

She also recommending learning visualisation techniques and meditating to rid the mind of negative thoughts and achieve a sense of calm.

Practising Yoga could be one way to bring meditation into your life. While some forms of Yoga are intensely physical, designed to tone the body and boost fitness levels, others are much more focused on relaxation techniques such as deep breathing.

It's an exercise you can do in the gym or as part of a class, but if you have the right Yoga equipment, there's no reason why you can't do it at home as well.

Doing a few simple stretches and breathing exercises before bed could make a world of difference.

So if work is putting a strain on your life, or you're incessantly worrying about one thing or another, why not head to your nearest Yoga for beginners class to find out how the exercise can help you?

Posted by Freya Harper