Let's talk about hacking your body's natural timekeeping processes - your circadian rhythm - to ensure peaceful days and restful nights.

1. Expose yourself to bright light in the daytime as much as possible

Natural sunlight during the day gives us more energy when we're awake and more restful sleep at night.

If you don't have easy access to sunlight, invest in a natural light bulb. Clear incandescent bulbs are best. Use one at work if you can. If you can't, try a halogen lamp. Either way, try to sit next to a window, especially if sleep doesn't come easily to you.

Light therapy boxes can be helpful if you suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder).

Where possible, make sure your living space is bright and airy with lots of windows that let in the light.

2. Limit your exposure to blue light at night, and avoid it entirely 2-3 hours before going to bed

Blue light comes from electronic devices such as phones, TVs, computers, and tablets. It stimulates us and tells us it's time to be awake, so we want to limit our exposure to it as we're winding down our day.

If you love to read before bed and you don't have a paper book or a magazine, the Kindle Paperwhite emits no blue light.