Struggling to fall asleep at night can be quite the ordeal, particularly if your mind is racing when you're trying to rest and quieting it feels impossible. There are are several strategies one might use to try to combat this, including reducing caffeine consumption before hitting the hay and engaging in calming breathing exercises.

There are even medications available to assist with sleep, but as per advice from a pharmacist, these should be considered only as a final option due to potential adverse effects such as nightmares and weight gain. Ian Budd of Chemist4U has noted that a frequently used sleep aid is a synthetic form of melatonin, which is a hormone naturally produced by the body during the night to regulate sleep timing.

Nevertheless, these artificial versions of melatonin, intended for short-term use in cases of sleep difficulties, may pose risks as they can trigger a host of "unpleasant side effects" ranging from nightmares and nocturnal sweating to unwanted weight increase, reports the Mirror.

As such, Ian advises seeking medical advice prior to reaching for melatonin-based products like Circadin to aid with sleep disturbances. He said: "Melatonin can be found in a medicine called Circadin.