As the UK continues to struggle with an ongoing heatwave, things are about to take a turn with at least a week's worth of rain and thunderstorms according to meteorologists.

Many people across the country have complained this week as they struggle to sleep in this humid and unpredictable weather.

To help ensure a good nights rest isnt too heavily impacted by overnight storms, Lucy Askew, a sleep expert at home interiors specialist http://www.Hillarys.co.uk, has compiled a selection of tips.

Invest in earplugs

If you are a light sleeper and loud rain and thunder will easily wake you, then its a wise choice to invest in a good pair of earplugs so you can experience a peaceful and undisturbed nights sleep.

If you are worried about not hearing your alarm the following morning, try inserting just one earplug in the opposite ear you rest your head on, in order to block out as much of the storms noise as possible.

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Give essential oils a try

Essential oils such as lavender can help in calming down your body in preparations for a full night of rest.

You can purchase it in a multitude of forms, including a pillow spray, a massage oil or even to add to the bath for a luxurious soak before hitting the hay.

Many light sleepers already swear by the benefits of reflexology, so its a worth a go if the storms are likely to keep you up in the coming days.

Listen to sleep meditation/white noise

Focusing on something specific that distracts your focus away from the outside noise will help with preparing your body for sleep.

Pop in your headphones and listen to some relaxing music or podcasts, or alternatively try downloading one of the increasingly popular apps designed to help users drift off to sleep more quickly.

Plan your sleep

If its crucial for you to rack up a sufficient nights sleep whilst a thunderstorm is predicted, then try to plan ahead and keep checking the weather forecast for when its likely to hit your local area.

If a trusted weather source says thunder and heavy rain is forecast for 12:30am for example, then make sure you are in bed at least two hours beforehand as youll be less likely to wake up if youre already in a deep sleep and significantly into your nightly sleep cycle.

Blackout blinds/curtains

If you havent already, invest in some blackout blinds or curtains for your bedroom.

Creating a pitch-black atmosphere in your room will signal to your eyes and brain that its time to shut down for the night and enjoy some well-deserved rest.

The last thing you need waking you is flashes of lightning creeping through your window in the middle of the night.

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Dont worry

Try and get yourself in the right headspace before bed and reassure yourself that one night of poor rest wont be the end of the world.

The more you start thinking about not being able to sleep, the more likely it is that your worries will manifest into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Find a thunder buddy

Whilst the humid weather can make it almost unbearable to share a bed with someone, having a partner, family member or friend there will bring you comfort if you are disturbed or scared of the noises that a thunderstorm can bring with it.

Read more here:

Expert's simple tips on how to sleep through a thunderstorm - Liverpool Echo