How to sleep: UK study suggests sex, true crime and lavender for a good night's sleep

The majority of us are struggling to fall asleep each night, new research suggests.

A nationwide study by Leonardo Hotels UK has concluded that a staggering 86 per cent of Brits regularly have problems drifting off - and that many of us are adopting nightly routines to try and combat this.

The old ways of counting sheep and drinking Horlicks are out, and new methods such as watching true crime documentaries or getting it on with your partner, are the new techniques.

Simply reading a book is the number one snooze inducing activity (23 per cent), followed by scrolling through social media (22 per cent), despite the consensus that looking at phones is bad for our sleep patterns. A mindful 16 per cent say stretching or yoga is a great way to feel sleepy, while ten per cent practice mindful breathing and 13 per cent feel you can’t beat a cuddle with your partner.

Head of marketing Suzanne Cannon said: "We know that getting a good night’s sleep is incredibly important for health and wellbeing, and the struggle to drift off is felt by so many. A night's rest is paramount in our guest objectives, and we believe that the right room setup is key."

According to the data, the main barrier to getting a good night’s sleep is stress (47 per cent), followed by money worries (31 per cent), too many things to do (25 per cent) and the pressures of work (16 per cent).

As many as 14 per cent of those polled blame their partners' snoring for their lack of sleep, while 11 per cent said their partner's constant tossing and turning makes it impossible to drop off.

In fact, it takes Brits an average of 39 minutes to fall asleep, with the average person getting six hours and 36 minutes sleep on average, well below the NHS recommended eight hours of shut-eye.

Here are the best ways to fall asleep - according to the British survey:

Read a book - 23 per cent

Scroll through social media - 22 per cent

Stretching/yoga - 16 per cent

Cuddle up to partner - 13 per cent

Spray lavender on the pillow - 13 per cent

Cuddle up to dog/cat - 11 per cent

Practise mindful breathing - 10 per cent

Tidy bedroom from top to bottom - 9 per cent

Watch a comedy show - 9 per cent

Wear a sleep mask - 6 per cent

Listen to the radio - 6 per cent

Get intimate with partner - 6 per cent

Write a to-do list for the next day - 5 per cent

Listen to a guided meditation - 5 per cent

Drink chamomile tea - 4 per cent

Dream of being on a tropical beach - 4 per cent

Listen to a true crime podcast - 4 per cent