In a hypothesis published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience, the educational establishments mentioned hypothesise that the biological function of sleep is to allow for "the vital repair and maintenance" of the cells in our brain. The research also found that this repair function can only occur if the individual neurons are aligned precisely at a time scale of seconds or less.

Lecturer in Sleep and Chronobiology at the University of Surrey Vladyslav Vyazovskiy, said; "We have billions of neurons in our brain, and each of them is connected with thousands of other neurons that are constantly talking to each other and exchanging information. It appears that our neurons cannot rest and repair themselves independently; they have to all shut down at the same time so as not to disturb each other and allow each individual cell in our brain to obtain the rest it needs.”

“If neurons attempt to obtain rest while we are awake, it is not only much less efficient, but also affects our performance negatively. On the other hand, under certain conditions some areas of our brain may be unable to "fall asleep" and remain in a "local wakefulness" state, resulting in us experiencing a very bad night's sleep."

Co-author Kenneth Harris from the UCL also notes intriguing parallels between the cellular repair process in brain cells and prolonged periods of exercise.

"This suggests that the repairs they are conducting may be similar. But while you can rest your muscles while being awake, to rest the brain during waking would be impossible.”

“The same happens in many other circumstances outside of biology. The London Underground for example, can only function properly during the day because it has extensive maintenance every night. We suggest that sleep allows a similar period of maintenance for the brain.”

Although it is unknown what exactly the link between sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and Alzeihmer's is, evidence suggests that some people who suffer from this particular disorder may already have developed pre-symptomatic dementia.

The most common of these SDB's is obstructive sleep apnea, affecting around four per cent of middle-aged men and two per cent of middle-aged window. This particular disorder results in heavy snoring, and sleep being repeatedly interrupted.

Research leader Ricardo Osorio of the New York University of Medicine, said: "We know that about ten to 20 per cent of middle-aged adults in the United States have SDB and that the number jumps dramatically in those over the age of 65. We don't know why it becomes so prevalent but one factor may be that some of these patients are in the earliest pre-clinical stages of AD (Alzheimer's disease)."

68 men and women with no previous evidence of dementia took part in the study, with around half found to have mild SDB and quarter had a moderate-to-severe form of the disorder. The volunteers also had brain scans and spinal fluid tests in an attempt to identify any biochemical signs of Alzheimer's.

These biomarkers were only found among lean patients with SDB, although Dr Osorio is not clear which condition came first, the SDB or Alzheimer's.

"It's really a chicken and egg story," he said. "Our study did not determine the direction of causality, and, in fact, didn't uncover a significant association between the two, until we broke out the data on lean and obese patients."

Smart PJs were invented by Juan Murdoch, a father of six. Available in pink or blue, the 47 sets of colourful dots that cover the pyjamas are reminiscent of QR codes; when a certain set of dots is scanned with a smartphone, tablet or e-reader, content unique to that pattern appears on the device.

There are currently two apps available. The Smart PJ Stories app interprets each dot pattern as a story, such as the Brothers Grimm or Mother Goose. The story will be read aloud, but the narrator can also be muted, allowing parents to help teach their children to read using the words on the screen. The original Smart PJ app on the other hand reveals educational content that teaches children about different animals. "It's the element of surprise there that makes it fun" Murdoch tells Today.com.

Murdoch hopes to release new apps with songs, games and Christmas related features "The pyjamas stay the same, the content changes" he says.

Cherries

Melatonin is the chemical that helps regulate your body’s internal clock, so try eating melatonin-rich foods such as cherries before bed if you’re struggling to sleep, or if you’re suffering from jet lag.

Some studies have suggested that tart cherry juice can even make a small difference to those suffering chronic insomnia.

Milk

We all know milk is high in calcium, you may not know however that calcium is known as a sleep booster, so make sure you’re getting plenty of dairy into your diet. Milk also contains an amino acid called tryptophan, a precursor to serotonin. Some suggest that these two chemicals can make it easier to get to sleep. Warm milk before bed: not just an old wives tale after all!

Carbohydrates

Carbs help release insulin, which clears the amino acids that are competing with sleep – inducing tryptophan. If you’re craving carbs, then make sure you go for the complex variety. Bananas are a particularly good source due to the additional ingredients magnesium and potassium, which are both natural muscle relaxants. Sweet potatoes, lima beans and papaya are also good choices before bed.

Tea

Wash everything down with a cuppa, but not just any-old brew will do; before bed you need a caffeine-free option. Try a cup of valerian, orange blossom or chamomile tea, which some say help you to drift off.

What to avoid

It may sound obvious, but keep clear of coffee. Some people won’t feel the effects of caffeine for up to half a day later. Caffeine can also lurk where you might not expect it, in cold remedies for instance.

Meals overly rich in protein, nicotine, fatty foods and certain B vitamins are also known to make it difficult for you to nod off.

To use the app, users set the in-built alarm clock and place the phone on their mattress. Throughout the night, the app monitors all their tosses, turns and breathing patterns, then visualises their activity as colourful virtual brush strokes.

The app also charts the progress of the artwork throughout the night, so users can see how they slept; natural greens signify a good night’s sleep, whilst red and amber indicate stirring and restlessness. Artwork can also be shared with friends and family on social networks.

The app has developed from an idea by hotel chain Ibis, who recently gave guests the chance to enter a competition where the winners slept in a sensor-equipped bed that robotically translated their sleeping patterns into art. The app version is now available for free on the iPhone.

We all know that dogs are a man’s best friend, but would you let them sleep in your bed? Health experts warn of the implications that can occur from letting your pets sleep in the same bed as you. According to research conducted domestic pets can cause their owners to become ill if you share a night’s sleep with them.

Despite this research, many people still do it, including A-list celebrities such as Elizabeth Hurley who has tweeted about sharing her bed with her Labrador and two Spaniels. The actress wrote “'Am allowing Raja (secret favourite lab) to sleep with me tonight. He's looking smug on my pillows”. Liz is not alone on this as Robbie Williams has also announced that he shares his giant bed with up to eight dogs at any one time! However when it comes to celebrities sharing beds with pets, we don’t believe that anyone can challenge George Clooney who shared his bed with his pet pig Max for eighteen years – we think it's safe to say that his room was always a pigsty!

Celebrities openly share their beds with their pets, so where would you let your beloved beast sleep? Your bed, their bed or even outside – it’s a trade-off between risks to your health and tail-wagging companionship.

A woman has had to resort to dieting throughout the day in order to balance out the 2,500 calories she eats whilst she’s asleep.

Lesley Cusack, 55 from Cheshire, suffers from a rare Sleep Related Eating Disorder (SRED) that means she eats up to a day’s worth of calories while she snoozes. The mum of three has had the disorder for 30 years, and in that time has unintentionally eaten paint, soap, raw potatoes and Vaseline, as well as suffering a number of injuries because of the condition: “I broke several teeth the other night but I have no idea how. I’m also waking up with more and more bruises.”

Cusack has had to join the gym to combat her weight difficulties, as well as sticking to a fruit and veg diet during the day. But she says it’s not easy: “It is a constant battle. I can follow a diet to the letter but it goes to pot at night.”

Nobody knows for certain what exactly triggers these nocturnal exploits, but according to WebMD, around one-three per cent of the general population suffers from a Sleep Related Eating Disorder. Dr. John Winkleman, medical director of a Massachusetts Sleep Heath Centre explained to the New York Times that: “Sleep is not the absence of wake. Your brain is active all night long. People think wake is like a room with the lights on and sleep is like the same room in the dark, but in the darkness a lot is going on.”

Zeds is a free app created in partnership with an Oxford University neuroscientist, which is being touted by the Independent as a more modern method of getting the demographic to sleep at a decent time.

Players are told to put their iPhone on the corner of the bed, and the app will then record sleep patterns and display results in a graph. After analysing sleep patterns, it then builds a game around them.

Ultimately, restless sleep creates more difficult levels, while a good night of sleep will offer the player an easier game with more power-ups.

Developer Chunk worked with Bafta-award winning animation team The Brothers McLeod and collaborated with Professor Russell Foster, who serves as a leading expert of Circadian Neuroscience at Oxford University.

Professor Foster said: "Anything that increases the awareness of the importance of good sleep practices, especially for this age group is very important, and I'm very supportive of it.

"If you don't sleep properly your ability to think creatively, to solve problems, your sense of humour - everything that makes us special human organisms - is lost. Sleep needs to be at the centre of our world."

Sykes, who is part of The Wanted - a band that has experienced an impressive level of transatlantic success since hitting the scene just two years ago - confirmed that he would have to undergo surgery on his throat to avoid a "haemorrhaging nodule" on his vocal cords; without treatment, it could effectively end his singing career.

The operation, which took place yesterday (April 18th), coincided with his 20th birthday, and led to him taking his worries to the Twitter massive. "Gutted …" he said. "Can't sleep. So much on my mind."

Within hours of the news, the hashtag #GetWellNath started trending and was used by hundreds of well-wishers. Since getting out of hospital, Nathan has been much more positive, stating: "Out of surgery… what a way to spend my birthday! Not gonna lie, I have been completely overwhelmed by all of the love, support and birthday wishes from you guys. You are all amazing!"

The research, conducted by Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit and Medical Director of the Detroit Receiving Hospital Sleep Disorders Center, found that an African-American man below the age of 40 increased his apnoea-hypopnea index (AHI) by 3.21 breathing pauses per hour of sleep, if the comparison is with a Caucasian man in the same age range with the same BMI.

Meanwhile, participants between 50 and 59 experienced much the same trend - being African-American increased AHI by 2.79 breathing events per hour of sleep on the same scale. Interestingly, however, there was no difference in AHI between African-American women and white females.

"The results show that in certain age groups, after correcting for other demographic factors, the severity of sleep apnoea as measured by the apnoea-hypopnea index is higher in African-American males than Caucasian males," said James Rowley, the study’s senior investigator and professor of medicine at the Michigan institution.