To fall asleep quickly, sleep better, and wake up feeling truly rested, the 3-2-1 rule promises miracles.
By following these steps, we can reduce sleep disturbances and approach the day with more energy and focus.
How the 3-2-1 Rule for Better Sleep Works:
- Avoid eating 3 hours before bedtime: This allows your body to complete digestion before lying down, preventing digestive processes from interfering with sleep.
- Stop working 2 hours before bedtime: Disconnecting from work-related activities helps you relax and mentally prepare for rest.
- Avoid using electronic devices 1 hour before bedtime: The blue light from smartphones, tablets, and computers inhibits melatonin production, the sleep hormone. Staying away from these devices helps you fall asleep more easily.
How the Biological Clock Works
Our biological clock, lasting about 24 hours, is regulated by the circadian rhythm. This clock regulates our sleep-wake cycles, body temperature, hormone production, heart rate, learning ability, stress levels, and more. It influences many essential functions of our body.
The Importance of Sunlight to Sync with the External World
Our biological rhythm is approximately 24 hours and 15 minutes, not exactly 24 hours. To synchronize our internal clock with the external world, we rely on sunlight.
This is why changing the time or time zone can make it difficult to fall asleep.
“A signal used by the brain to reset the internal biological clock is called Zeitgeber, and sunlight is the most reliable Zeitgeber we have. Sunlight is our primary internal ‘synchronizer,’ and we can use this knowledge to help our bodies adjust more easily to time changes,” explains Andrea Carlo Sala, certified sleep expert and president of the Better Sleep Foundation.
This article first appeared on Grazia.it
