One of the most common complaints I hear these days is: "Doctor, I cannot sleep. Can you give me something to help me sleep".

Over recent years,the use of tranquillisers has shot up as doctors may not have anything else to offer. It is not easy to live in a relaxed state in the modern world where money dictates almost every step of your life. As people are working under increasing pressures from work, home and their financial situation, they feel they cannot stop.

A friend of mine who is a solicitor, works with several cases at a time and often has to travel to London, agreed that he was very stressed out, had no spare time and was feeling unwell. But he could not take time off as he had urgent cases to attend to. Now he has developed diabetes.

Another example of extreme stress was a teacher who had become depressed because of her huge workload. She said she could not afford to take time off because she would lose money and would not be able to survive.

Our work culture dictates that we have to keep on working scrupulously and seriously throughout the day. It is seen as criminal to relax and take a break. Perhaps our economy does not allow us to take a break regularly as most of us cannot afford it. Because of this, we often bring our work home with us and feel wound up physically or mentally when we should be relaxing.

In many offices and work places, people are constantly under pressure to be on the go all the time. They invariably get stressed and can smoke or drink too much coffee to cope with that stress.

The editor of a health journal wrote to me asking: "Can you recommend me something for insomnia?" I advised him to give himself a regular break, have a head massage every day, drink some ginger tea, do meditation for a few minutes and go for a walk in the fresh air.

I will share with you a lovely story which a counsellor told me. Every lunch-time at work a man used to open his sandwich box and complain: "Not peanut butter sandwiches again." His mates would say to him; "Why don't you ask your wife to make you different sandwiches ?"

To this he replied:"You don't understand. I make my own sandwiches."