Celebrities may not seem like real people in a lot of respects but apparently they are - and some of them even have trouble sleeping from time to time. Or so says Gwyneth Paltrow in her latest GOOP mail any road.

Good job then that the hugely knowledgeable and talented Dr Frank Lipman is on hand with some tips for how to nip insomnia in the bud. For some people, says Dr Frank, the causes of sleeplessness can require specific clinical treatment. However, for a great many, following a few simple rules could have dramatically positive effects on our sleeping. I know this for a fact because I’m a case in point. Having been a sometime insomniac for more than 10 years, I read Frank’s book Spent (now called Revive: Stop Feeling Spent and Start Living Again ) and I tried the pre-bed yoga relaxation, eye patch and ’switching-off’ suggestions as well as following his recommendations for sorting out a struggling digestive system (a common cause of sleeplessness apparently) and pretty soon I was feeling the benefit. Not only was I getting to sleep more easily but the sleep I get now feels much more restful.

Anyway, don’t just take my word for it. Check out Dr Frank’s top tips in the latest GOOP letter. Gwynnie’s included some tips for how to make your boudoir super sleep-friendly and all… Nighty night.

Falling asleep on the job is at best frowned upon and at worst grounds for sacking. But, it looks like, as with most other aspects of our lives, we have become too far removed from natural, organic life cycles, for our own good. We always mock the Mediterraneans for their lax attitudes to afternoon work but according to new sleep research, they have it spot on.

Just look at animals. They don’t sleep for 8 hours and then stay up for 16 hours straight. They prowl around a bit, eat a bit, sleep a bit, and onto the next prowl. So, why do we think our bodies want to do something completely different? It’s just like restorative exercise (as pointed out by Dr. Frank Lipman in Spent): like other animals, we are designed to expend energy and then rest before we expend any more. And, real rest - ie. sleep - actually recharges our brains making us more productive than if we power on through until nighttime.

Contrary to popular belief, sleepiness in the early afternoon is not related to eating a big lunch, but rather our natural circadian rhythms kicking in. We are programmed to feel most sleep between 2am and 4am and between 1pm and 3pm and we lose reaction time, memory, coordination, mood and alertness during those periods.

However, there is more to napping than just putting your head down, apparently. Sleep too much - and at the worng time for your physiology - and you could wake feeling worse than before, like you’ve been drugged. But get it right and you’ll improve your concentration and memory skills, as well as your mood and you are less likely to pile on the pounds - not getting enough sleep is a sure fire way to weight gain because it triggers the release of Grehlin, an appetite-stimulating hormone, released mostly by the stomach.

Check out the Guardian article to find out what kind of nap you should be having.