Notes for a better night.

Light: blackout lining behind existing curtains is cheaper than new blinds, and a strip of draught excluder along the top of a curtain pole stops the glow above. Cover standby lights with a small piece of tape.

Temperature: many people sleep better in a slightly cool room. Try a lighter duvet before turning the heating down, and open a window an inch if the street is quiet enough.

Noise: soft furnishings absorb sound, and a steady background sound can mask sudden ones. That’s where a fan sound or brown noise can help.

White noise has equal energy across all frequencies, so it sounds bright, a bit like a hissing radio. It’s good at masking sharp sounds like voices.

Pink noise turns down the high frequencies, which makes it sound softer, more like steady rain. Brown noise goes further still and sounds deep and rumbly, like a distant waterfall.

There’s no right answer. Try each for a few nights at a low volume, just loud enough to blur the sounds you want to hide. You can preview all three on our sounds page.

Being woken suddenly from deeper sleep can leave you feeling groggy for a while. Many people find that waking at a lighter moment, near the end of a sleep cycle, feels smoother.

A smart alarm uses a window rather than a single time. Nightjar listens for movement in that window and starts a soft sound when you seem to be stirring, but never later than the time you set.

For best results, keep your phone on the bedside table, plugged in, rather than under your pillow.

First, don’t check the time. Working out how many hours are left tends to wake the mind up. Nightjar’s red night mode keeps the screen dim if you do need it.

If you’ve been lying awake for what feels like a while, get up, go somewhere dim and do something calm and boring until you feel sleepy again, then go back to bed.

Occasional bad nights are normal. If you regularly wake and can’t get back to sleep, or it’s affecting your days, speak to a doctor. They can help in ways an app can’t.

The trouble with phones at bedtime is less about the light and more about what’s on them: messages, news and endless feeds keep your mind busy.

Try a “last scroll” time 30 minutes before lights out. Charge your phone across the room, and let Nightjar’s sounds and alarm run from there.

If you read on a device, choose a dedicated e-reader or turn on a warm, dim screen setting.

When it’s still dark outside, your body has fewer clues that it’s morning. Turning on bright lights soon after waking, or sitting near a window once it’s light, can help.

Keep your wake time roughly the same every day, including weekends. A sunrise glow on your alarm screen and a gentle sound make the first minutes less jarring.

Low mood that comes and goes with the seasons is common. If winter regularly leaves you very low, talk to your GP.