Are you having trouble sleeping at night? If so, the 10-3-2-1-0 sleep rule can put an end to bad nights and drowsy mornings. everyone knows. But most of us, myself included, admit to being tired on a regular basis.
The 10-3-2-1-0 sleep rule promises to help improve the quality of your rest. This will leave you feeling brighter, happier, more alert and more productive throughout your day. So I thought I’d give it a try to help me sleep better.
Of course, without proper configuration, there is no point in establishing new rules. I already had the best pillows and best mattress combination, but I still couldn’t fall asleep quickly, so the 10-3-2-1-0 sleep rule he suggested I tried it for a week. guess what? worked.
What is the 10-3-2-1-0 Sleep Rule?
The 10-3-2-1-0 Sleep Rule is a set of rules that create the perfect nighttime routine to ensure a great night’s sleep. This can range from cutting out caffeine 10 hours before bed to turning off your cell phone 2 hours before the lights go out.
Chris O’Sullivan, Resident Sleep Specialist, Mental Health Foundation (opens in new tab) Reinforces the benefits of establishing a sleep routine.
“Our bodies release a hormone called melatonin that naturally makes us feel tired around 10-11pm. So if we head to bed when we’re tired, we’ll sleep better. Recognize that wave.” Turn off the TV and listen to music, drink a milky drink or enjoy a warm bath. It’s a good way to soothe.
Summary of the 10-3-2-1-0 sleep rule:
- 10 hours before bed – Cut out caffeine
- 3 hours before bed – stop drinking
- 2 hours before bed – Quit the job
- 1 hour before bed – turn off the screen
- 0 – Do not snooze the alarm
So it looks pretty easy, right? But according to sleep experts, the first step in establishing a 10-3-2-1-0 sleep rule is establishing a specific bedtime.
define bedtime
“The easiest way to determine what time you need to go to bed is to calculate how many hours you need to sleep. Seniors (ages 65 and over) need 7 to 8 hours of sleep, and teenagers (ages 14 to 17) need 8 to 10 hours of sleep,” he explains. sleep coach rosie osman (opens in new tab).
How much sleep do you need?
However, your age is only an approximate number.
“When thinking about when to sleep, it’s also worth considering your sleep cycle. When we sleep, we go through four stages of sleep. Three stages of non-REM sleep (rapid eyeballs). exercise) and one stage of REM sleep,” says Rosie.
“It takes about 90 minutes to complete the four stages, and a typical night’s sleep of seven to nine hours has about four to five sleep cycles. It’s best to wake up early, in the NREM phase, so calculate how many hours of sleep you need and work in multiples of 90 minutes. You can set an alarm to wake you up on
I figured 11pm would be a good time to hit the hay. this is what i did.
10 hours before bed: cut caffeine
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We all know that caffeine is a stimulant. This is why most people prefer coffee to start their day. However, it can also significantly affect your sleep.
“Caffeine is a stimulant that promotes alertness and is great first thing in the morning, but it can be harmful at night when you’re trying to distract yourself. Avoid drinking caffeinated drinks after 2pm.” This will allow enough time for the caffeine to leave your body before bed. “Because this will increase your level, not decrease it,” explains Silentnight. (opens in new tab)Sleep expert Dr. Nelina Ramlakan.
To prevent caffeine from affecting my sleep, I switched to decaf 10 hours before bedtime, around 1pm.
3 hours before bed: No alcohol
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You might think a nightcap will help you drift off into nod land, but it can actually make for a restless night.
“Alcohol can disrupt your sleep cycle during the night, causing you to wake up earlier and go to the bathroom more often, and can induce or worsen snoring. Limit the amount of alcohol you consume and avoid alcoholic beverages right before bed. please,” explain Emily and Jonathan Atwood, founders of luxury bed linen company Scooms. (opens in new tab).
The 10-3-2-1-0 sleep rule advises you to stop drinking alcohol three hours before bed. For me that meant 8pm. I like to have an occasional glass of wine with dinner and tend to eat around 7pm, so that worked for me. I was strict.
2 hours before bed: stop working
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Stop working at least two hours before bed. This allows your brain to relax and prepare for sleep.
If you’re overwhelmed with tasks you have to complete tomorrow, try a mind dump. “Write down everything that bothers you. Enjoy crossing out things that are not important or that are out of your control. Don’t take them to heart, it’s written down and you can act on it tomorrow.
‘Identify recurring issues on your list and act responsibly. Whether it’s work stress, relationship problems, or financial problems, create a plan to tackle these worries and break them down into manageable chunks,” recommends Tempur. (opens in new tab) Sleep expert and chartered psychologist Susie Reading.
“Work” is not just paid work. Crosswords, sudoku, duolingo, anything that makes your brain more active will make you more awake. Complete these early in the evening to relax your mind before bed.
No problem for me. Work ends at 6pm at the latest, dinner, TV, bath and bed.
1 hour before bed: turn off the screen
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We all know that we should turn off our screens before bed, but we rarely do. However, the 10-3-2-1-0 sleep rule states that all screens should be turned off an hour before bed.
“An effective habit when it comes to settling in for the evening is to stop scrolling continuously on your phone or tablet. Taking regular breaks from technology before bed can help maintain important sleep patterns throughout the night – especially when much of the news agenda is highly volatile.
I tend to read before bed, but scroll through my phone all night long. I set an alarm on my phone for 10pm and stopped looking after that.
0: The number of times you press the snooze button
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0 of the 10-3-2-1-0 sleep rule is to never hit the snooze button. Snoozing the alarm has proven to be of no benefit, or even worse considering you can snooze it when you set it.
“When you hit the snooze button, your brain knows it’s going to turn off again — it’s already in the process of waking up — and you can’t get a deep, restful sleep during the snooze. In fact, the alarm goes off.” Each time cortisol increases, you suddenly wake up and your body goes into a “fight or flight” response. The Sleep Charity Experts Explain (opens in new tab).
“Brief sleeps between hitting the snooze button are not restorative and disrupt sleep patterns.
I can’t say I jumped out of bed right away, but I resisted the snooze button.
Was it useful? Yes, I definitely felt more relaxed by the time I went to bed, which made falling asleep easier. In any case, I recommend this simple rule to follow.
What are two things you should avoid to get a good night’s sleep?
If you only do the two things on this list, you should avoid caffeine 10 hours before bed and alcohol 3 hours before bed. This ensures that there are no stimulants in your body when you go to bed, ensuring a better night’s rest.
What is the best sleep time for adults?
Adults sleep between 7 and 9 hours. However, the exact number depends on your genetics and lifestyle.
“If you are an adult and find that the recommended number of hours (about 7 hours) is not enough for your active work or busy lifestyle, you may benefit more from resting a little longer each night. Sleep expert Rosie Osamu recommends not sleeping too much longer than recommended, as too much sleep can leave you feeling limp. increase.
