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It’s 3am and the whole world is asleep. Except you. At least it feels that way, as you toss and turn, get up, go back to bed, count sheep, have a milky drink, sniff your aromatic oils. But the fact is that thousands of others, many of them teachers, will be going through the same waking nightmare. Insomnia strikes millions of us at some point, and most of us don’t know how to deal with it.

Do we take a couple of over-the-counter herbal tablets? Or beg the GP for something stronger? Do we listen to old wives’ tales and sleep with our head to the north? Or put our faith in acupuncture, reflexology or hypnosis?

Insomnia strikes many from the stressful professions, and we all know that in teaching stress is high - and getting higher. Rhiannon Fox, 34, from Crewe in Cheshire, found that out when she did her PGCE two years ago, and has suffered sleepless nights since. “I can’t sleep for worrying which kid I might have upset and that I’ll be greeted by abuse from their parents in the morning,” she says. “Or whether or not I’m going to be observed in class, or my planning is OK. We accept it as part and parcel of the job - there are just so many things to worry about.”

Branwen Beattie, 27, who teaches at Coed-y-lan comprehensive in Pontypridd, also has trouble sleeping. “I’m a secondary teacher with two small children so I get hit coming and going. When work gets stressful, I wake every couple of hours. You can guarantee that if I am in a period of sleeplessness my children will wake up at least once a night, usually just when I’ve managed to grab 40 winks.”

But when the tiredness gets too much, who can teachers turn to? Sleep expert Dr Adrian Williams of St Thomas’ Hospital, London, has little comfort for sufferers. In Britain, he says, 30 per cent of people in any one year suffer sleeplessness, one in three of them to the extent that it affects their daytime performance. So can they expect help from the GP? Not much, says Dr Williams. “Much of the problem will be behavioural, a matter of what we call ‘sleep hygiene’ - regulating caffeine intake, alcohol, smoking, and so on. It would take a GP 15 to 30 minutes to talk through it. They don’t have the time.”

It’s far quicker for the GP to reach for the prescription pad, though Dr Williams says the sledgehammer solution provided in the past by strong barbiturates has now largely been replaced by the more subtle diazepam-type drugs. Even so, Ms Beattie is having none of it. “I’ve been to the GP,” she says, “but I’ve seen a close relative become dependent on barbiturates, and because I am not willing to take medication, there isn’t a lot the doctor can suggest.”

There must be alternatives. And, of course, there are: dozens of them, many promising the earth. Dr Williams has little time for them. “Nothing proven,” he says tersely. And neither does William C Dement, an American sleep expert and author of The Promise of Sleep. “None of these therapies has been truly tested,” he writes.

Ms Beattie has a little more faith, having gained a few precious “winks” using reflexology. “The theory is that certain areas on your feet correspond with areas of the body and mind, and by applying pressure to these parts you can diagnose and treat problems. It’s relaxing,” she says. “You have to sit still - so having the treatment I can justify spending time doing nothing.” She also practises relaxation techniques. “This involves an element of self-hypnosis, a conscious emptying of the mind. The worries don’t disappear, but you are able to file them away for a few hours, to be dealt with when you are refreshed.”

Ms Beattie has been sleeping better recently; Rhiannon Fox, a supply teacher, is still struggling. Both are having to help themselves. You might think GPs would be able to refer serious sufferers to an expert. Could Ms Beattie or Ms Fox consult Dr Williams, for example?

“Well, no,” he admits. “We don’t take referrals.” Who does then? “No one in this country.” So where can ordinary people get help?

The best Dr Williams can come up with is a website for the National Sleep Foundation, and even that is American. He agrees it’s “a sad state of affairs”. Mr Dement goes further, describing the situation as “criminal”. In his book, he calls sleep the “forgotten third of our lives”, and says we are a“sleep-sick society”.

And it seems we are sleeping less and less each year. “On average, we sleep 168 fewer hours a year than 30 to 40 years ago,” says Dr Williams. Mr Dement goes further, saying: “On average, each of us sleeps one-and-a-half fewer hours every night than our great-grandparents did.” Which, over the course of a year, amounts to more than three weeks.

What can we do about it? There are the old wives’ tales, which Dr Williams isn’t so quick to write off, granting that they are often merely good sense. Counting sheep? “Repetitive tasks might calm your mind when it’s in turmoil,” he advises. Similarly, relaxing over a warm, milky drink can’t hinder, and may help.

Mr Dement advises a regular bedtime, eating dinner at least three hours before, and avoiding stimuli - watching television, answering emails, paying bills and, of course, marking homework - in the hours before bed.

Mind you, even counting sheep had its drawbacks recently: you never got to sleep for worrying if they had foot and mouth.

The Promise of Sleep by William C Dement, Pan Books, pound;6.99. National Sleep Foundation website: www.sleepfoundation.org

PERCHANCE TO DREAM

* Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol in the late afternoon and evening. Caffeine and nicotine can delay sleep, and alcohol may interrupt your sleep later in the night.

* If you have trouble sleeping when you go to bed, don’t nap during the day, as it affects your ability to sleep at night.

* Exercise regularly, but do so at least three hours before bedtime. A workout after that time may keep you awake because your body has no chance to cool down.

* Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine that will allow you to unwind and send a signal to your brain that it’s time to sleep. Avoid exposure to bright light before bedtime. Taking a hot bath may help.

* Don’t use your bed for anything other than sleep or sex.

* Consider your sleep environment. Make it as pleasant, comfortable, dark and quiet as you can.

* If you can’t go to sleep after 30 minutes, don’t stay in bed tossing and turning. Get up and do something relaxing instead, such as listening to soothing music or reading, until you start to feel sleepy. Try to clear your mind; avoid using this time to solve problems.