The “3-2-1 rule” is less of a rule, and more of a buildable routine. Forget counting sheep; it’s a science-backed, effective way to fall asleep quickly.
Sleep disorders are one of the most widespread problems in the United States: about 50 to 70 million Americans have sleep disorders, and 1 in 3 adults do not regularly get the recommended amount of uninterrupted sleep they need to protect their health, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Poor sleep, whether it’s self-imposed or spurred by a chronic condition, can have drastic short- and long-term side effects on your emotional wellbeing and body health. In fact, an irregular sleep pattern has been linked to everything from poor work performance and relationship problems (it’s a real libido killer), to serious health conditions such as heart disease and weight gain.
What’s contributing to such widespread bouts of bad sleep? It varies: stress, a penchant for late in the day caffeine, alcohol, overeating and eating late can all impact your circadian rhythm, and your ability to fall or stay asleep. But most of these issues can be countered with the 3-2-1 rule.
What is the 3-2-1 rule?
There’s plenty of different strategies for falling and staying asleep. This is one of the most simple, and easy to implement—no supplements required. The 3-2-1 rule involves organizing the last three hours of the day in way that reduces stimuli and gently prepare the body to enter a phase conducive to rest. The routine focuses on three essential mechanisms: digestion, mental state, and the biological clock. If you follow the rule, even a few days a week, you can hope to see the improvement of sleep quality over the long term. That influences overall wellbeing, both in the physical body and mind.
Keeping your routine consistent, though, “effectively trains your brain to start releasing and alerting factors at the same time each morning,” Angela Holliday-Bell, an MD, board-certified pediatrician, and certified sleep specialist, previously told Vogue. “[It also alerts] sleep cues such as melatonin at the same time each night. This makes the process of falling asleep easier and more efficient for you, leading to better sleep overall.”
Here’s how to employ the 3-2-1 method.
Eating early in the evening avoids triggering your digestion system at a time when the body should be slowing down, and gives it time to work before sleep. Stopping caloric intake three hours before bedtime avoids reflux and bloating, both of which interfere with your ability to fall asleep. If a sweet craving arises, try opt for a herbal tea instead. (There are even cocoa-flavored herbal teas, which can easily assuage that nocturnal craving for chocolate!)
Catching up on work, sorting out life admin, organizing personal projects, emailing…Any activity requiring thought prolongs the brain’s state of alert, incompatible with the sleep phase. Stop all cognitive activity two hours before bedtime and establish a soothing routine to create a gentle transition. Try reading (on paper!), some light stretching, music, some calm conversation. Ending the day with a hot shower can release tension, too.
Many of us spend the day with our eyes glued to a screen, and the repercussions on our health are numerous: Migraine, deteriorating myopia, eye fatigue, cognitive decline included. Blue light directly affects our sleep by suppressing the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates our circadian rhythm. Avoiding all exposure to screens an hour before sleep allows it to increase naturally, and reduces the stress associated with social networks, notifications, and other intrusive messages. An hour before lights out, read a book or do a short breathing or meditation session. You’ll find you plunge more quickly into a deep, life-affirming sleep.