Findings of a new survey found that nearly a quarter of British couples said they were either sleeping in separate beds at some point in the week, or had different rooms altogether as an essential measure to get some shut-eye.

Brits are blaming their partners sleeping habits for this new trend. In the recent Sominex survey, over three quarters of respondents admitted that snoring, 40 per cent to fidgeting and 24 per cent getting up for the toilet or to snack - behaviours which made sharing a bed, or even a room impossible. A fifth of respondents said they were more tired on a Monday than they were the previous week and over half said they were more argumentative with their loved ones after a bad night's sleep. So it's no surprise that having separate rooms is increasingly the preferred option for cohabiting couples.

In general Brits are not sleeping well. Although many still feel tense from work when it comes to relaxing before bedtime, it seems most are still in the dark about how to wind down properly. Over a third of those questione blamed modern technology and working lifestyles for their restless sleeping. But contrary to popular advice, traditional remedies such as having a hot milky drink having a hot water bottle or a warm bath are being shunned in favour of watching TV - which experts say is likely to exacerbate the problem.

Dr. Chris Idzikowski, sleep expert at the Edinburgh Sleep Centre said it is important to make the bedroom a calm place. "Make sure the bedroom is a restful and quiet place and try to use it for sleep only. Avoid turning it into an entertainment centre with televisions, computers and stereos, keep the room cool and invest in some good curtains or blinds to ensure the room is dark," he said.

"Try not to drink caffeine based drinks or alcohol before bedtime and if you can't sleep don't worry, get up and rest somewhere else until you feel sleepy enough to go back to bed. For short-term sleeping difficulties, you could try an over the counter sleep aid."

As many as 30 per cent of adults experience sleeping difficulties at some point during their lives.

If you're having problems nodding off the makers of Sominex, which contains promethazine hydrochloride, say the a fast-acting sleep aid, can help correcting temporary disturbances in your normal sleep pattern, helping you to get a restful nights sleep. but read the label.

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