TOSSING and turning at night is a familiar feeling for many, but a doctor has revealed a great trick for those of us struggling to nod off. By using the 10-3-2-1 method, your body will be able to prepare itself for sleep, but what is it and how does it work? Posting on TikTok, Dr […]
TOSSING and turning at night is a familiar feeling for many, but a doctor has revealed a great trick for those of us struggling to nod off.
By using the 10-3-2-1 method, your body will be able to prepare itself for sleep, but what is it and how does it work?
Posting on TikTok, Dr Raj Karan shared the method, which includes cutting caffeine and watching when you have your meals.
He explained: “Here’s how to sleep better with the 10-3-2-1 trick.
“Ten hours before bed, no more caffeine.
“This is how long it takes your body to clear it from the blood stream and eliminate the effects.”
Caffeine is a stimulant, which is why a lot of us drink it in the morning to help us feel a little more alive.
Drinks that contain high amounts of caffeine include coffee, tea, energy drinks and other soft drinks such as cola.
If your normal bed time is 10pm, Dr Raj’s method means you can’t have any more caffeine after 12 in the afternoon.
His next tip, is that three hours before bed, you avoid big meals.
He explained: “This helps avoid heartburn and interrupted sleep.
“Also avoid alcohol as this impairs your REM sleep.”
When we sleep, we move between the different stages of both non REM and REM sleep.
REM sleep (rapid eye movement) starts around 90 minutes after we drift off.
It’s important because it’s the part of sleep that helps us stimulate our brain and it’s at this stage we are also more likely to dream.
The next tip, is that two hours before bed, you should stop working, Dr Raj says that this helps you get into a relaxed state of mind – there’s no way you’re getting to sleep if you’re still obsessing over the thousands of unread emails in your inbox.
One hour before bed, Dr Raj says you should cut out screens.
He added: “That means Netflix too!
“Blue light inhibits melatonin production which delays sleep.”
Shocking images previously revealed the damage too much screen time can do to your eyes.
Dr Raj Karan's sleep method is simple and could help you get the sleep you need
10 hours before bed – cut caffeine
Three hours before bed – avoid big meals
Two hours before bed – no more work
One hour before bed – turn off screens
Skin expert for Digital Defence, Dr Johanna Ward explained: “High energy blue light can cause significant damage to the eyes and the skin causing accelerated ageing – not only from direct exposure but from our skins ability to repair itself.
“HEV light is emitted by the sun so it’s not a new exposure for us but nowadays we are all getting extra doses of HEV through our modern tech – it’s emitted from our super-sized televisions, our LED light bulbs, our computer screens and our phones.”
So it’s no wonder that Dr Raj recommends switching off the screens before bed.
Keeping the screens on can also lead you to procrastinate, going to bed later than you usually would.
