Life coach: What can I do about my nightmares? Following a Mediterranean style diet - one that emphasises fruits and vegetables, nuts, grains, olive oil (as opposed to butter) and seafood - has also been suggested to support good sleeping habits. But as deficiencies in several nutrients can lead to sleep problems (including calcium, magnesium and B vitamins), ensuring a varied and healthy diet is probably the key. So eat lots of fruit (cherries and kiwis may help you sleep), vegetables, whole grains, and lower-fat protein sources such as fish, chicken, lean meat, eggs or soya (which contain tryptophan, as well as B vitamins, minerals and unrefined carbohydrates). Several herbal remedies, such as valerian, kava and camomile, also claim to help prevent nightmares by acting as sedatives. But nightmare sufferers need to be careful when using some of these remedies. A study of valerian and kava found they reduced stress levels in insomnia sufferers, but a side effect was vivid dreams, so it could actually worsen your problem. Supplements with L-Tryptophan or its close relative, 5-hydroxytryptophan, and/or GABA, have also been shown to act as mild sedatives. A study among children with sleep terrors found more than 90 per cent responded positively to L-5 hydroxytryptophan supplements. After six months, more than 80 per cent receiving the supplement were finally able to sleep, free of night terrors. Regular exercise and meditation during the day or before bed also help. Q What can be done to prevent physical damage from spending too much time on the computer? DA, London One of the areas most affected is the wrists. Regular stretching will lessen the chances of repetitive stress injury and carpal tunnel syndrome. Start with the palm facing downwards with the arm out straight. Move the palm upwards and hold statically for between 5 and 10 seconds. Go back to starting position, move the palm downwards and hold. Then, supporting your forearm, rotate the wrist clockwise and anticlockwise five times. Poor posture and not moving for long periods can cause tightening of the hamstrings, torso and shoulders. Plenty of people are gym active but work static. Ideally, you should get up and move around every 15 minutes, even it is only for 30 seconds. Twist your torso gently one way and then the other while keeping your hips facing forward. For the hamstrings, while seated put one foot out straight in front of you with just your heel on the ground. Then lean forward until you feel a gentle stretch in the back of the upper leg. Repeat on the other leg. For the chest, hold the back of the chair until you feel a stretch. For the shoulders and upper back, bring both arms forward and cross them until your palms are facing each other. Doing these stretches a little but often is key. It makes sense to use adjustable posture-correcting chairs, wherever possible, as these can prevent excess pressure on the underside of the thighs and the backs of the knees. But whether you have one of these or not, it is worth working to improve your posture in order to stave off tightness and injury. This is easier said than done and you have to train yourself. Here are a few guidelines. Keep the shoulders relaxed. Aim to have the arms bent at 90 degrees with the forearms horizontal. The wrists should not bend up, down or sideways. Your computer screen height and angle should be adjusted to eye level. Make space in front of the keyboard to rest your arms and hands when not typing, and use a foot support. You could try a bit of chair yoga (have a look at yoga.about.com/od/yogasequences/tp/deskstretches.htm). For further information about sitting correctly at a workstation visit nhs.uk/livewell/workplacehealth/Pages/howtositcorrectly.aspx. Reader's response I used to suffer from mouth ulcers, peeling hands, eczema on my face and a very flaky scalp. Since I have been using products free from the chemical sodium lauryl sulphate, all of these problems have vanished. AM, Cheshire