Three out of ten French people sleep poorly and/or spend their nights tossing and turning in their bed. If you’re tired of counting sheep until the wee hours of the morning, there’s one method that’s currently making the rounds: the “10-3-2-1-0” technique. This method promises to transform your sleepless nights into sweet journeys to dreamland.
Developed by Craig Ballentyne, a Canadian personal development coach, this technique is based on scientifically validated principles. The principle? A countdown that punctuates your day to prepare your body and mind for sleep.
Let’s start with the number 10: this is the number of hours before bedtime when you should say goodbye to your last cup of coffee. Caffeine, this faithful ally of our difficult mornings, can in fact persist in our body for up to 14 hours. Dr Bertrand De la Giclais, sleep doctor, however, tempers this rule which he considers a little drastic: “Stopping after 4 p.m. is generally enough to preserve the quality of sleep” he explains In The Independent.
Three hours before going to sleep, Your digestive system is not a night owl – let it rest! Alcohol, although it may seem like a natural sleep aid, is actually a disruptor that fragments your sleep.
Digital detox
Two hours before the big dive into the arms of Morpheus, Close your files and turn off your work notifications. Work-related concerns are among the main causes of insomnia. This urgent email is not going to evaporate while you sleep, so you might as well leave it until the next day.
One hour before bedtime the most important moment comes: war on screens is declared! Smartphones, tablets, computers… all these little luminous companions are saboteurs of melatonin, the sleep hormone. The blue light they emit disrupts your biological clock.
The final zero method refers to the number of times you have to press the “snooze” button on your alarm clock. Those few extra minutes of sleep that you give yourself are actually a false good idea that disrupts your sleep cycles.
Experts are unanimous: although this method does not revolutionize anything in itself, it brings together the best sleep hygiene practices. Dr. Jess Andrade, however, points out that “this method may not be suitable for everyone, particularly depending on individual medical history”. On the other hand, it costs nothing to try.
- The 10-3-2-1-0 method is a structured approach that gradually prepares your body and mind for sleep throughout the day
- It is based on scientifically validated principles: caffeine management, respect for digestive rhythms, gradual disconnection and limitation of exposure to screens
- Although promising, this method must be adapted to each individual and does not replace medical advice in the event of persistent sleep disorders.
