A DESIGNER who used to suffer from chronic insomnia is aiming to help people sleep more peacefully with a device she created as a student.

Kate Evans, 25, used to get less than three hours sleep a night at the height of her battle with the condition.

And she hopes her LightSleeper device will soon have sufferers dozing off across the country.

It works by projecting a light, which moves in a controlled, circular motion, on to the ceiling. Experts believe it encourages the mind to relax into a good night’s sleep.

Ms Evans said: “Insomnia effectively robbed me of a whole year, but with this device I now sleep very well.

“Insomnia is a terrible condition that leaves people feeling constantly exhausted.

“Three hours sleep a night is just not enough.

“I did lots of research into what it is that keeps people awake at night and discovered that the controlled, monotonous movements of the light can really help.”

About one in five people in the UK are thought to suffer from insomnia, defined as a persistent difficulty in falling or staying asleep.

Causes can include stress, anxiety, depression or too many stimulants like caffeine.

Experts recommend people don’t use any stimulant for up to six hours before going to bed and make their bedroom as relaxing as possible.

They should also not try too hard to get to sleep.

Marilyn Monroe, Vincent Van Gogh, Charles Dickens and Napoleon Bonaparte all famously suffered from insomnia.

The NHS has so far spent £36m on sleeping pills this year – a 20 per cent rise on last year.

Sleep expert Dr Neil Stanley has tested the device and believes it could help insomniacs sleep better.

He said: “Distracting the mind from intrusive thoughts in a restful, soothing way is a much better solution.”

Wallingford firm Quincom, where Ms Evans works as a design director, is in discussions with a distributor to market the device in Japan.