If you’ve been on the hunt for a method that brings structure and routine to your pre-bedtime hours, look no further than the 10-3-2-1-0 method. Unlike other approaches, such as the 5-4-3-2-1 sleep technique, this one isn’t about counting down. Instead, it’s a strategic way to organise your day and, hopefully, upgrade your sleep quality.
The 10-3-2-1-0 technique is more of a lifestyle adjustment than an evening routine. The method starts during the day and should be followed until you go to bed. You may even still be at work when you start the routine.
Let’s break it down:
10 hours before bed – No more caffeine.
As identified by the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, studies show how avoiding caffeine for a minimum of six hours before bed can improve sleep quality. In the 10-3-2-1-0 method, ten hours is suggested, ensuring the caffeine will have fully left your system. That’s because the half-life of caffeine can linger on for anywhere between two and twelve hours, making a ten hour window a safe bet for improving our ability to nod off.
3 hours before bed – No more food or alcohol.
Food and alcohol can impact our sleep quality too. Avoiding both for at least three hours before bed ensures your body has enough time for digestion and allows your temperature and heart rate to return back to a rested state.
2 hours before bed – No more work for the day.
Getting quality sleep isn’t solely about how your body has been physically exerted during the day. It’s also about how well rested, and therefore, prepared, your mind is too. Working before bed – whether complicated spreadsheets or simply just getting ahead on emails – signals to your body that it should be in work and concentration mode. It’s also more difficult to avoid blue light if you’re working before bed.
1 hour before bed – No more screen time.
As alluded to previously, blue light has a direct impact on your ability to fall asleep. Here’s a quote from Harvard Health Publishing on the matter:
While light of any kind can suppress the secretion of melatonin, blue light at night does so more powerfully. Harvard researchers and their colleagues conducted an experiment comparing the effects of 6.5 hours of exposure to blue light to exposure to green light of comparable brightness. The blue light suppressed melatonin for about twice as long as the green light and shifted circadian rhythms by twice as much (3 hours vs. 1.5 hours).
0 hours before bed – The number of times you hit the snooze button in the morning.
While Healthline identify that hitting the snooze button isn’t necessarily harmful to health, it can become detrimental to our sleep-wake cycle, particularly when hit repeatedly. Simply, our bodies, and particularly our circadian rhythm, like consistency. This helps the natural rhythms of the body prepare for what’s about to happen and, in this case, supports the normalisation of our wake time.
So, despite the 10-3-2-1-0 covering a wide range of sleep tips, it’s a very simple approach designed to help you prioritise rest when it matters most.
This method has taken the spotlight for a few reasons. Many have embraced it to inject structure into their days whilst others praise the health benefits.
One Tiktoker, meralarik, has given a full breakdown to over 60 thousand viewers of the method, with the goal to “win your mornings & sleep better”:
@meralarik YOU want to win your mornings & sleep better? Click “+” if you’re going to try this 🌙💤✨ #TipsAndTricks #2018vs2021 #lifehack #sleep
It’s not just on Tiktok, though – doctorjesss on Instagram has gone over the same method, providing a more educational angle. She explains how avoiding big meals 3 hours before bed can “help reduce symptoms of reflux” and warns us that alcohol can impair your natural sleep cycle if drunk during the run-up to bedtime.
Beyond the online hype, medical institutions, including the NHS, endorse the importance of a sleep routine. Why not go one step further and incorporate sleep friendly concepts across the entirety of your day?
The biggest strength behind this method is structure. It’s incredibly easy to follow and each step helps promote a mindful sleeping habits.
In our Sleep Health Hub, we often talk about how different aspects of life impact sleep. The beauty of this method is how it centres on core sleep issues.
With its focus on limiting blue light, caffeine, alcohol, and stress, the 10-3-2-1-0 method helps you cover all angles in one easy-to-remember routine. Each step is designed to help you improve your circadian rhythm, achieve consistent wake and sleep times, and focus on clean sleep.
For those battling insomnia, the method offers steps for relaxation and mindfulness, helping you form a regular sleep pattern. While not foolproof, it can be a helpful tool. As always though, it’s important to speak to your GP if you have any concerns about sleep.
Unfortunately, there are no published studies that cite this method’s success. However, scientific consensus is strong on the negative impacts caused by alcohol, caffeine, food, screen-time and irregular wake times.
As you embark on your journey to improve sleep, keep in mind that the 10-3-2-1-0 sleep method is merely one tool among many to help you doze off. There are others to consider, such as the 4-7-8 method and the military sleep method. Alternatively, you could try different sleep schedules or use our sleep calculator to find your ideal bedtime for a great night’s sleep.
