Sleep consultants say that the 10-3-2-1-0 rule is grounded in strong science, although analysis doesn’t conclusively again the precise timing of every step.
The ideas behind every step are supported by proof, says Amit Shetty, DO, a board-certified neurologist who focuses on sleep medication at Vancouver Clinic in Vancouver, Washington. “It gives a sensible framework for bettering sleep hygiene.”
Right here’s how every step could be good for you:
Stopping Caffeine 10 Hours Earlier than Mattress
Analysis has lengthy proven a hyperlink between sleeplessness and caffeine use.
“Avoiding caffeine 10 hours earlier than bedtime is necessary, as it may trigger insomnia and worsen your sleep high quality,” says Dr. Shetty. Caffeine blocks adenosine, a pure chemical that builds up in your mind through the day and alerts it’s time to sleep at night time.
“This may make you are feeling extra alert even when your physique is able to sleep, lowering the quantity of slow-wave and REM (fast eye motion) sleep you expertise at night time,” Shetty says.
Gradual-wave sleep, the deepest non-REM sleep part, is when your physique strengthens its immune system and repairs tissue, amongst different duties. REM is when dreaming happens.
Caffeine has a half-life of 5 hours for the common grownup, however analysis exhibits this varies broadly between folks, starting from 2 to 10 hours.
Which means about half of the caffeine you devour stays in your physique after this time, and roughly 25 p.c should still be current 10 to 14 hours later, Shetty says.
“For individuals who are caffeine-sensitive or slower metabolizers, lowering whole caffeine consumption and avoiding caffeine even earlier within the day could also be crucial to stop sleep disruption,” he says.
Stopping Consuming and Ingesting 3 Hours Earlier than Mattress
“Consuming late within the night elevates [the] hormones cortisol and ghrelin whereas lowering melatonin and leptin — two hormones that play key roles in sleep initiation and upkeep,” Shetty says.
And sure, analysis particularly factors to the three-hours-before-bed benchmark as a useful one. Information means that consuming inside three hours of bedtime could delay whenever you go to sleep, trigger you to get up extra at night time, and sleep fewer hours.
Alcohol is one other enemy of excellent sleep, which can be shocking, given how ingesting it additionally makes you drowsy. Having one drink at dinner a number of hours earlier than bedtime seemingly received’t have an effect on your sleep, however having greater than that may result in worse sleep high quality, the next probability of loud night breathing, and fewer hours of sleep general.
Ingesting alcohol can worsen signs of sleep problems like sleep apnea and scale back your sleep high quality (and amount) much more.
Powering Down Work and Display Time 1 to 2 Hours Earlier than Mattress
Placing away work (together with emails and homework) and screens (equivalent to smartphones and laptops) helps your mind shift into relaxation mode. “Display use and late-night work can delay melatonin manufacturing and maintain your mind alert when it ought to be winding down,” says Lu.
Analysis exhibits that individuals who use laptops, smartphones, or comparable units late at night time usually wrestle to go to sleep.
A Norwegian research, for instance, discovered that younger adults who used screens in mattress have been 59 p.c extra prone to have insomnia and sleep 24 minutes much less every night time.
Sleep consultants advocate swapping out your work to-do’s and cellular phone use for enjoyable, screen-free actions, equivalent to stretching, respiratory workouts, and meditation.
Skipping the Snooze Button
It’s tempting to suppose that hitting the snooze button is an effective factor, because it grants you a couple of further minutes of shut-eye. However this behavior could also be including to your sleepiness.
“Snoozing alarms creates these quick durations of fragmented sleep,” Lu says. Analysis means that repeatedly utilizing a nap button will increase fatigue and sleep inertia, which is the groggy feeling you expertise the primary half-hour after waking up.
Skipping the snooze button additionally helps you get up on the identical time every day. Lu says this consistency helps promote extra environment friendly and restorative sleep for most individuals.
