10-3-2-1 sounds like something a quarterback might say when calling a play during a football game.
Or something Mission Control might say before sending a spacecraft into orbit.
And it is kind of like that.
Instead of the endzone, the quarterback, or Mission Control, 10-3-2-1-0 is a countdown to Dreamland.
It’s a reminder. Like PACTREPS, 10-3-2-1-0 will help you get better sleep.
The sleep countdown goes like this…
10: No more caffeine ten hours before sleep.
No coffee or energy drinks after lunch. Tea has caffeine, but not as much as energy drinks and coffee. The less caffeine, the better for your sleep.
3: No more food or drink three hours before bed.
That can be hard to do if your day is irregular. Hunger can also keep you awake and affect your sleep. Watch what you eat. Don’t overeat, and don’t eat too many heavy foods. The main point here is to help you remember that it’s better for your sleep to get more of your calories earlier in the day.
2: No more work two hours before bed.
You’ve got to wind down. Two hours before bed is the time to do that.
Our society has become, for many people, one of non-stop work. A portion of the public works two full-time jobs, or a full- and a part-time job. They have no time for recreation, no time for self-maintenance, no time to keep their relationships up with their family or to have any friends.
We shouldn’t live like that.
Work can be good. According to author Marianne Williamson, it should be your expression of love for others and life.
You should be able to shut your struggles to work an hour or two before you go to bed.
1: No more screen time one hour before bed
Read a book, or, at the very least use something that has electric ink, like a Kindle.
If you’ve got to do something on your phone before you go to bed, try to do that first.
0: The number of times that you hit the snooze button
Rotting in bed can affect your sleep. Wake up with a purpose. You’re allowed to lay there and mentally plan out what you want to get done for the day but don’t let yourself go back to sleep. Avoid lingering in bed by being realistic about how much sleep you need.
It’s worth committing to memory:
No more caffeine 10 hours before bed.
No food or drink 3 hours before bed.
No work 2 hours before bed.
No screens 1 hour before bed.
No hitting the snooze button on the alarm clock/phone.
James Cobb RN, MSN founded the Dream Recovery System to incorporate spirituality with solid advice related to sleep and dreaming. His goal: make insomnia a thing of the past.
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