Shoulder tension, teeth grinding and racing thoughts prevent many of us from sinking into an easy sleep.
But one woman believes she has found the antidote to those restless hours of bedtime frustration.
Writer and producer Nicole Singh detailed her night time routine on MyDomaine to help others struggling with stress related insomnia.
1. Create your own steam room
After a hectic day at the office, Ms Singh said she loved to unwind by jumping straight in the shower.
'There is something almost poetic about washing the day away,' she said.
The Sydney-based producer prefers to turn off the lights, light a lavender scented candle and relax in her self-made steam room.
Research has shown that lavender significantly improves sleep quality.
2. DIY facial massage
A massage is a special treat for most of us, but Ms Singh has mastered the art solo from the comfort of her own home.
Starting with her face, she manually works out any tension points all over her body before taking a jade roller to rub her temples.
'I tend to hold stress here, so I focus on my temples and jaw,' she said.
3. Stimulate the senses
The human body is one big sensory mass, and Ms Singh likes to calm her senses by creating a soothing environment of light and sound right before bed.
'Around one-hour before bed, I turn out all the lights and burn my favourite diffuser to set the mood.'
4. Meditation
Ms Singh said she attended a mindfulness class where she learned to properly practice meditation.
Calling the relaxation technique 'life changing', she explained how meditation helped to unwind physically manifested stress by completely relaxing every part of the body.
While some meditative resources can be cliched, Ms Singh said the benefits are definitely worth the perseverance.
5. Do it your way
Despite a large cohort of experts urging people with sleep difficulties to avoid blue light emitting devices (like phones, tablets and laptops) before bed, Ms Singh said we should be free to unwind in whatever way feels right for us.
'I suggest doing what you feel like, as opposed to what you think you should,' she said, adding we should leave enough time to turn of devices immediately before bed.
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