INSOMNIA is believed to be a big problem in the UK which troubles around one in every three people.

Not only can it limit what you're able to do during the day, it impacts your mood and can lead to relationship problems with friends, family and colleagues.

On average, a 'normal' amount of sleep for an adult is considered to be around seven to nine hours a night, according to the NHS.

But what if you are struggling to get enough shut-eye?

Now, Dr Michael Mosley is on a mission to help Brits improve their sleep.

Michael Mosley shares how to get to sleep quickly

In his new book, 4 Weeks to Better Sleep, which is being serialised in the Daily Mail, he has revealed some of his top tips for improving your sleep habits.

"All the evidence shows that good sleep is an achievable skill," Dr Mosley says. His tips include changes to diet and keeping a sleep diary - but one is a whole lot more surprising. If you are struggling to drop off, Dr Mosely actually recommended going to bed at a later time, a move he said could be "powerfully effective".

The idea behind this is that it will prevent you from lying in bed worrying and "trying" to get to sleep since you will only go to bed when you are really tired. And this will train your brain to know going to bed is for falling asleep.

It's important to work out how much sleep you actually need - which could be as little as six hours a night. For example, if you need to get up at 7am you may not need to go to bed until 1am.

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According to Dr Mosley, "Sleep specialists have long known that one of the most effective ways to break this vicious cycle is to spend less time in bed. It's called Sleep Restriction Therapy (or sometimes Bedtime Restriction Therapy) and it can be a powerful tool to help people break their insomnia.

"The principles are simple: by reducing the amount of time you spend in bed you intensify your urge to sleep so that when your head does hit the pillow, you drop off quickly into a deep and restorative sleep.

"After a while, your brain re-learns to associate being in bed with being asleep, rather than with ruminating and worrying."

He warns this process is 'not easy' but it could cure even the 'most stubborn' insomnia cases.