Adults who suffers from psychiatric conditions have over double the incidence of sleep problems compared to the population as a whole. Whilst the traditional clinical view is that sleep disorders and insomnia are symptoms of mental illness, recent studies have shown that the relationship between sleep and psychiatric disorders is complex and bi-directional. Both conditions can often affect the other, with poor sleep influencing both the onset and the severity of a mental condition. Conversely, mental illness leads to sleep problems, the level of which can be exacerbated by the severity of the particular psychiatric episode.

What's more, recent research has shown that treating sleep disturbances can have positive effects on the outcome of treatment of psychiatric conditions, and it's now suggested that sleep problems may even raise the risk for, and even contribute to, the development of episodes of psychiatric disorders.

Whilst the detailed neurochemistry of the relationship between mental health and sleep isn't completely understood, recent research has shown that lack of sleep effects the amygdala the brain's emotional control centre . Disruption to REM dream sleep in particular has been shown to lead to a decrease in emotional control and an over-reaction to negative stimuli. Conditions such as bipolar, depression, anxiety disorders, ADHD, schizophrenia and psychosis all are associated with sleep problems.

Certainly, those who have been diagnosed with a mental illness, find that looking after their sleep, and developing a healthy sleep routine helps reduce the severity of their condition. However, science is yet to determine cause and effect - it is still to be proven that long-term sleep deprivation leads to mental illness.

With regards to mental health, sleep is part of what I call the 'health triad' with diet and exercise the other core components, both of which have a direct effect on your sleep as well as your overall physical and mental health.

Here are my 5 top sleep tips:

• Routine: Your brain loves routine so make sleep a ritual. Keeping regular hours will make it easier to get to sleep. Try to maintain this pattern even at weekends, as it helps strengthen your circadian rhythm, or body clock.
• Relax before bed: Meditation, breathing exercises, muscle relaxing techniques, taking a bath and reading a book will all help get your mind and body ready for sleep.
• Technology: Switch it off an hour before bed, as blue light and mental stimulation will keep you awake. Don't take any technology, including your mobile phone, into your bedroom.
• Bedroom and light: A bedroom should be like a cave, cool, dark and quiet. Getting a good comfortable mattress is also a key component.
• Keep a sleep diary: To work out what affects your sleep both positively and negatively.  Typical things to note down include; the time you go to bed, the quantity and quality of sleep you get,  ranking it 1-5 for example. If you awake at night, the number of times, the length of time, and what you do should all be recorded for example, sleepwalking, going to the toilet, any nightmares, night terrors etc.. Keep a record if you sleep in the day too, and for how long. Other things to note is what you eat and drink especially caffeine and how late. The amount of exercise you take, and any medication you are taking should also be noted. Finally log your general mood and feelings and scale of anxiety from 1-5 too.