We’ve all been there. You’ve been struggling to stay awake all day, warding off yawns with countless cups of coffee and unable to think of anything but hitting the hay.

But, the second you cosy down to catch forty winks, you’re wide-awake.

It turns out, that lying in bed unable to fall asleep is actually a disorder called conditioned or learned arousal and is considered one of the most common sleep problems.

So why does it happen?

According to sleep-medicine specialist Philip Gehrman, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, it’s because something in your sleep environment has signaled to your brain that getting into bed should “arouse” you rather than send you to sleep.

“If someone is a good sleeper, then each night they probably get in bed and fall asleep. So when they get into bed it triggers this auto response of sleepiness,” Gehrman told TIME.

The Big Six: Hotels for a deep sleep Show all 6 1 /6 The Big Six: Hotels for a deep sleep The Big Six: Hotels for a deep sleep The Big Six: Hotels for a deep sleep Hotel Quellenhof, Switzerland: Designed for the acute insomniac rather than a respite-seeking holidaymaker, this Swiss spa town hotel's two-night Sleep Diagnostics programme combines state-of-the-art research and treatment with fitness, relaxation, fresh mountain air and five star luxury. Guests leave with a personal health dossier and advice on how to continue therapy. Hotel Quellenhof, Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, Bad Ragaz, Switzerland (00 41 81 303 3030; resortragaz.ch). The Sleep Diagnostics package costs €2,643 per person, including accommodation in a specially equipped sleep diagnostics room, breakfast and all treatments. The Big Six: Hotels for a deep sleep Hospes Palacio Del Bailío, Cordoba: Centuries of guests have slept at this 16th-century palace. Should the weight of history hang heavy over your sleep, Hospes has a solution. In a nod to International Sleep Day on 18 March, the hotel is providing tips for a good sleep and a calming spritz at turn-down. Hospes Palacio del Bailio, Ramirez de las Casas Deza 10-12, Cordoba, Andalucia, Spain (00 34 957 498 993; hospes.com). Doubles from €175. The Big Six: Hotels for a deep sleep Crowne Plaza The City, London: If you want to make sure you're switching off properly for National Bed Month this March, Crowne Plaza has designed a "sleep advantage" programme, including podcasts by sleep expert Dr Chris Idzikowski. Crowne Plaza The City, 19 New Bridge Street, London EC4V 6DB (0871 942 9190; crowneplaza.co.uk/sleepadvantage). Doubles start at £216. The Big Six: Hotels for a deep sleep Vie Hotel, Bangkok: Before you drift off to an idyllic Thai beach resort, consider first combating your jetlag at Bangkok's Vie Hotel. Guests can leave the frenetic city at the door of this modern glass skyscraper and settle in for the holistic Deep Sleep programme, which combines a stay in a deluxe suite with an in-depth session with a sleep consultant. Once fully rejuvenated, there is a rooftop pool and Jacuzzi, a spa, restaurant and several bars to enjoy at the hotel, while the dizzying delights of central Bangkok are also close by if you're raring to go again. Vie Hotel, 117/39-40 Phaya Thai Road, Bangkok, Thailand (00 66 2309 3939; viehotelbangkok.com). The Deep Sleep programme starts at 6,200 baht (£125) for two people, including breakfast. The Big Six: Hotels for a deep sleep The Benjamin, New York City: This luxury hotel promises a good night's sleep with the "Benjamin Bed", complete with a choice of 12 pillows. Aromatherapy products and a sleep concierge complete the restful picture. For children, there are lullaby pillows and iPods with bedtime stories. The Benjamin, 125 East 50th Street, New York City, US (001 212 715 2500; thebenjamin.com). Doubles from $269 (£179), room only.

“But if you spend night after night tossing and turning not being able to fall asleep, then your body associates that with your bed instead.”

Thanks to the domination of smartphones, tablets and laptops in our lives, tossing and turning in bed has become common for many but other factors like thinking about work or worrying can also disrupt your sleep.

The most obvious way to treat the condition is to not have any screen time or bright lights in the hour before bed. This is because light, especially the blue light given off by screens, suppresses the production of melatonin, a chemical that helps your body to sleep.

Similarly, experts at Psychology Today recommend taking regular exercise during the daytime, avoiding caffeine, alcohol and tobacco in the evening and not forcing yourself to sleep.

Instead, if you’re having trouble nodding off, get up and do something relaxing until you feel ready to go to sleep.