29 October 2023 , 23:42
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Trouble sleeping? Fear not - sleep experts have devised the perfect daily plan to ensure you not only manage to get to sleep, but have the best night of sleep possible.
A doctor has posted her trusted method on Instagram and went viral as she showed the world her very simple steps for getting the perfect night’s sleep : the 10-3-2-1-0 formula. The plan ultimately gives guidance on when to stop doing certain things during the day - such as drinking caffeine, eating, or looking at screens.
T-minus 10 hours: Caffeine
It’s time to stop with the caffeine. Even if you haven’t had any coffee today, you should always try to stop drinking caffeine 10 hours before you go to bed. "Caffeinated drinks will clear from the bloodstream in around 10 hours and eliminate the stimulatory effects," Doctor Jess explained.
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T-minus 3 hours: Food and alcohol
Get your last snack in and a glass of wine if you want one - because three hours before bed it's best to stop eating and drinking alcohol. This reduces the symptoms of reflux and prevents alcohol from affecting a high-quality sleep cycle.
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T-minus 2 hours: Mental rest
It’s time to organise your thoughts and wind down from the day of activities, work and stress. You should give yourself a mental rest two hours before you go to sleep every night - and Doctor Jess recommends noting down any tasks you need to get done the next day so they don’t play on your mind.
T-minus 1 hour: Screens
Scrolling Twitter or TikTok until 2am may be tempting for some, but screens just before bed are a big no-no. Try to leave an hour between the end of any TV programme you may be watching and when you go to sleep - and keep off your phone when you’re in bed. Blue light devices ruin your natural sleep cycle, Doctor Jess warns.
0: The Snooze Button
To finish off the 10-3-2-1-0 is Doctor Jess’ promise: 0 is the number of times you will be hitting the snooze button in the morning because you’ll be feeling just so refreshed. Jess makes clear that her method is “not intended for everyone based on medical history, so speak with your doctor for any concerns about sleep”.
Another social media sleep doctor, Michael Bruce, revealed how to get back to sleep if you wake up often in the night. "One of the things people always ask me about is, what can I do in the middle of the night to get back to sleep, or if I'm having a hard time falling asleep, what is an exercise that I can do?” he said. “My favourite is called 4-7-8 breathing.”
This method is a great way to lower your heart rate and help you feel sleepy and involves you breathing in for four seconds, holding it for seven seconds, and breathing out for eight seconds. He added: "What this does is it pulls all the carbon dioxide out of your lungs, puts in fresh oxygen, which means your heart has to work less and you get to fall asleep.”
A commenter on TikTok verified its effectiveness: "I love that technique!!! It really works!!" Another said: "I've used this for years. As I lay there I do it & think it won't work but it does 100% of the time.” It worked perhaps too well for one person: "Omg... tried this... it worked but I fell asleep and left the video running on a loop for hours."