A good night's sleep with the 10-3-2-1-0 rule ?!

Getting enough sleep is essential for good health, with health experts recommending 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night to get the most benefit.

Studies have linked poor sleep to an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, cognitive decline/dementia, weakened immunity, mood changes such as depression and anxiety, and other chronic health problems. With the increasing pressures of life, many people have trouble getting a good night's sleep, so experts offer a daily routine based on the "10-3-2-1-0" rule for better and healthier sleep.

Health experts say the rule is a bedtime routine with guidelines that encourage your mind and body to relax and sleep soundly. It consists of five stages:

10 Hours Before Bed: Cut Back on Caffeine

Proponents of the 10-3-2-1-0 rule say that drinking coffee after noon is a no-no. Within 45 minutes of consumption, your body absorbs 99 percent of the caffeine, but caffeine’s half-life (the amount of time it takes for your system to reduce the caffeine to half its original amount) ranges from 1.5 to 9.5 hours.

Caffeine can make it difficult to fall asleep because it competes with adenosine, a chemical that occurs naturally in your body and promotes drowsiness.

Adenosine, a neurotransmitter, builds up in your body throughout the day and helps regulate your sleep-wake cycles. Caffeine disrupts this process, keeping us awake when it’s time to sleep.

To combat this, experts say your last cup of coffee should be consumed at least 10 hours before bedtime. They also recommend skipping sweet foods, as sugar causes inflammation and can further disrupt sleep cycles.

Caffeine can also be found in soft drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, chocolate, tea, and some foods and medications.

3 hours before bed: No alcohol or food

Alcohol can disrupt sleep patterns. Although it may make you feel sleepy at first, the sleep you get will be of poor quality.

Abstaining from alcohol can lead to better sleep quality, deeper sleep, and better overall rest. However, if you must drink alcohol, experts recommend stopping within three hours of bedtime.

The same goes for food, as fried foods, foods high in fat or acid, and spicy foods can contribute to stomach discomfort, heartburn, and acid reflux, making it difficult to relax comfortably.

Processed foods and foods high in sugar cause a rapid rise in glucose levels and increase the risk of a “blood sugar crash,” also known as hypoglycemia.

When we experience this crash, our brains keep us awake and encourage us to eat more to normalize our blood glucose levels.

In contrast, foods that encourage better sleep include meals rich in lean protein, fiber, and complex carbohydrates.

2 hours before bed: Step away from work activities

To prepare your mind and body for relaxation, completely stop all work-related activities two hours before bed.

This creates a positive mental gap between work and sleep. Meditation and deep breathing exercises can calm your thoughts, slow your breathing and heart rate, and help you fall asleep and stay asleep.

An hour before bed: Stay away from electronic devices

Screens emit blue light that mimics sunlight and prevents the body from producing melatonin, the sleep hormone.

Research has found that exposure to blue light from electronic screens can disrupt circadian rhythms, leading to delayed sleep. This is especially true when the screen content is stressful news or anxiety-provoking social media posts, a practice known as “destructive scrolling.”

Proponents of the 10-3-2-1-0 rule suggest that people who tend to hit the snooze button and go back to sleep should break this habit. The sleep you get right before you wake up is the rapid eye movement (REM) stage, which is crucial for mental and physical recovery. But snoozing disrupts this process and reduces the benefits of this stage. Experts also note that people who wake up after their second or third nap often feel sleepy and tired during the day, which negatively affects their productivity and mood.

In addition to the criteria outlined in the 10-3-2-1-0 formula, experts recommend blackout curtains, an air purifier in the bedroom, magnesium glycinate supplements, and some evening exercise.

Source: New York Post

Happynass: Does that sound simple? not at all, with what surrounds us in food, technology, and work, but it's good to remember that health is the foundation for everything else we do in life, so it's worth listening to this advice and implementing at least, if not all, may be to start with some points?😉