Not so dangerous Sleepless nights

stream, causing potentially life­threatening conditions that include sepsis and meningitis. Over­65s are regarded as being at greatest risk from listeriosis, which is

INSOMNIA affects one in three Britons and most are women, although comparatively little research and few trials have concentrated on why they are more affected than men.

Sleep expert Dr Lindsay Brown attributed this lack of interest to the common ­ and traditional ­ assumption that female insom­ regarded as particularly dangerous for the over­80s. nia is a ‘woman’s problem’ linked to hormonal fluctuations caused by menstruation, pregnancy and menopause.

Health professionals also pointed out that listeriosis is unusual in healthy people, including the over­65s.

“There’s a catastrophic lack of knowledge about women’s health as a whole, and this is just one more life­altering concern that’s been left on the side­lines,” Dr Brown said.

THERE are many ways of providing water in the garden, but the simplest way is a bird bath. This is essentially a dish of water, the aesthetic aspects are there to please us, not the birds!

A good bird bath has a simple, sturdy construction, but is light enough to make it easy to clean and refill.

The location of your garden and the type of vegetation immediately around it will determine what birds will visit your bird bath, and in what numbers. Siting of the bath is very important as birds will only use it if they feel safe.

Birds get excited and preoccupied with bathing, and tend to be more vulnerable than at other times.