Doctor shares 10-3-2-1-0 method that will help you get the best night’s sleep
You may've tried meditation or breathing techniques, but have you tried the 10-3-2-1-0 to get to sleep?
If you find yourself tossing and turning, constantly checking your phone and getting worked up over something you said eight years ago in school, then this sleep hack might be for you.
Paediatritian Dr Jess Andrade regularly shares tips and information with her followers on Instagram and the 10-3-2-1-0 method is one that she brands 'sleep hygiene basics'.
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However, it's 'not intended for everyone based on medical history' so prepare to do some research and speak to a doctor rather than just diving in.
However, should you be given the green light to try the technique, the method starts a whopping 10 hours before you go to bed.
And it kicks off with something you consume which has the opposite effect to winding you down.
Yes, I'm talking about caffeine - the drug which helps fuel our claustrophobic commuting and frantic typing after we got a measly five hours shut eye.
Dr Andrade recommends that you should stop drinking caffeine 10 hours before going to bed, explaining: "Caffeinated drinks will clear from the blood stream in around 10 hours and eliminate the stimulatory effects."
So if you're planning to go to bed at 11pm, you need to make sure your last coffee is at 1pm.
You're good for the next few hours, but Dr Andrade's method continues to count down to bedtime, the next part of the method occurring when the clock strikes three hours before bed - this is when you need to stop eating alongside drinking any alcohol.
Doing this can help reduce symptoms of reflux, and reduce the chance of alcohol impairing your natural sleep cycle.
An hour later, when you have two waking hours left, you need to put down your pencils and make sure you stop doing any work or homework - you probably won't need too much convincing for that one.
Dr Andrade explains: "2ish hours before, relax the brain and write down all tasks for the next day and give your brain a mental rest."
This will help your mind wind down before you go to bed, though Dr Andrade says you can only use your phone for one of those hours.
The '1' part of the method relates to your final hour before bed, when you should turn off all of your screens, including phones, TVs and laptops.
Turning off devices before bed can prevent the blue light from your screens from disrupting your body’s natural sleep cycle.
If you do all that, Dr Andrade says, then you'll achieve the '0' part of the method.
She explains: "Zero is the number of times you'll hit the snooze button in the morning."
Dr Andrade adds under her video that the information is for 'educational purposes only', adding: "Not intended to diagnose or treat any illness. Speak with your doctor with any medical concerns."
Still, if your only concern is the big circles under your eyes each morning, then the method is definitely worth a go!
Emily Brown