A quick little plea from the heart before I find my anti-histamine pills (as close as I get to sleeping pills) and drown them with decaf tea: Please do not text me before 11am UK time.

I really need my sleep these days and it's so difficult to come by.

I find it unusually difficult to fall asleep these days and if I'm woken up by an unusual noise - somebody knocking on the door, the phone ringing or, yes, a text message - I'm awake. Some days I manage to nap. Most days I do not.

Why do I keep my mobile by my bed? Firstly, because there might be an emergency and people should definitely contact me then! Secondly, because I might wake up feeling very bad and I need to be able to contact the outside world.

I love hearing from my friends but I also need to be able to function. And I need an enormous amount of sleep in order to function, alas.

Now I do hope that I'll be able to get back to sleep soon because I have a brain scan lined up for today..