Several studies have already shown this: after the age of 40, you should sleep at least 7 hours per night to reduce the risk of cognitive disorders, and also to reduce abdominal weight gain. “Easier said than done” will answer insomniacs who sometimes struggle for hours before falling asleep.
To help you have longer nights, American sleep experts have come up with a relaxation routine they call the “10-3-2-1 method”. This pre-sleep routine encourages the mind and body to relax to combat difficulty falling asleep.
10 like 10 hours before bed
This is the precise moment when you should stop taking caffeine according to sleep specialists. In other words, if you go to bed at 11 p.m., you should give up having an espresso after 1 p.m. Certainly, 99% of caffeine is absorbed by the body in about 45 minutes. But the half-life of this caffeine (i.e. the time it takes for your body to reduce it by half) varies between people and organisms from 1.5 to 9.5 hours, which can prevent you to fall asleep. Indeed, in the body caffeine competes with adenosine, a chemical substance present in the body which promotes drowsiness.
And be careful: caffeine is not only present in coffee but also in sodas, energy drinks, chocolate, tea and even certain medications that are better taken at lunch than in the evening.
3 like 3 hours before bed
It’s time for the last drink of alcohol and the last meal. Even if alcohol makes you drowsy and has relaxing properties, which can help you fall asleep, as it is metabolized by the body, it will disrupt sleep during the second half of the night, with sometimes insomnia around 3 or 4 hours.
The same goes for food. These include fried foods, high-fat foods, and spicy foods that can contribute to an upset stomach and acid reflux, making it harder to get to sleep. As for foods containing large amounts of sugar, they cause a risk of a drop in blood sugar which will prevent you from sleeping or cause a nighttime craving which will push you towards the fridge at 4 a.m.
2 like 2 hours before bed
This is the deadline to process your professional files if you are the type to bring work home, or if you telework. “This two-hour boundary creates a positive mental separation between work and sleep” underline the experts interviewed by le New-York Post. After sending your last email, consider mindfulness meditation or breathing exercises which are great ways to calm your thoughts and slow your breathing and heart rate to help you fall asleep.
1 like 1 hour before bed
This is the very last limit for checking your social networks before turning off your smartphone or tablet. We now know that screens emit blue light which inhibits the body’s production of melatonin (the sleep hormone). To prepare your body for rest, leave your screens off for the hour before bed. And don’t fall asleep in front of the television because a study has shown that this can disrupt metabolism and lead to weight gain or even obesity.
Source: www.topsante.com
