Increasingly, however, I'm seeing younger people, individuals in their 30s and 40s, who tell me they're unable to remember things they feel they ought to. If your memory loss is recent - and particularly if it's dramatic - it's vital to report this to your GP so that you can be referred for further tests. Thankfully, in the vast majority of cases, no organic cause will be found - and even if there is a problem, most conditions can be treated. If, however, no physical cause is found, what other explanations are possible, and what can you do to improve your ability to remember?

First, when you see your GP, take along a written list of all the medications you're taking. If you've been prescribed a number of different medications, particularly if you're seeing several different specialists, it may be that a drug interaction is causing your memory problem. An overview of your prescriptions, followed by some minor adjustments, could make a remarkable difference.

There are also changes you can make to your lifestyle that will help. Foremost among these is going to bed earlier, and following a good bedtime routine. Britons are sleeping less and less - the average number of hours they now sleep each night is between 6.5 and 7.5, depending on which survey you consult. This is barely within the recommended range of seven to nine hours.

More important, however, is the quality of that sleep. Unless you relax, set aside your worries and wind down with a comforting and familiar routine, you may not get enough deep sleep. This is the phase in our sleep cycle when we consolidate experience, sort out and make sense of recent memories, and move them into long-term storage.

Be sure also to eat plenty of complex carbohydrates, and keep yourself hydrated; the brain depends on slow-release glucose and adequate water to work at its best. Taking aerobic exercise every day also helps because exercise increases blood flow, sending more oxygen to the brain.

Most important, however, is to pay better attention in the present moment. Mostly, memory problems are the result of inattention at input. If you don't take things in properly in the first place, there will be nothing to remember later. If you're constantly planning the next move or rehashing past events, you'll miss what's going on right now. And, if you allow email and text alerts to disrupt your attention, you'll degrade your concentration span.

Therefore, one of the most powerful ways to improve your memory is to put a message on your electronic devices, saying when you'll listen to messages. Then turn off your devices, and check them only when you promised to do so. Meanwhile, give each irreplaceable moment in your life the attention it deserves.

Linda Blair is the author of The Key to Calm (Hodder & Stoughton). THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, UK