10-3-2-1–0 Method

10-3-2-1–0 Method

FLT Beau Claiborne

We spend roughly ⅓ of our life sleeping or attempting to do so. Yet the majority of us give the time our bodies need to recover little thought or planning. Last month we touched upon the damage we are susceptible to with the accumulation of chronic sleep debt. A host of health issues, whose risk could potentially be diminished by being proactive. Our 1 on - 2 off - 1 on - 4 off schedule doesn’t support consistent sleep … so some abuse is inevitable. Fact is, we are intentionally working against ourselves without a strategic plan to combat a busy night or two in the firehouse. Being proactive isn’t an all or nothing scenario though. Start small! Like most health related goals, small tweaks can yield large gains. Make a single adjustment, reap the reward, then implement another. The byproduct of quality sleep will start to snowball.

A solid place to begin is the 10-3-2-1-0 method to sleep better.

10 The number of hours before bed you should consider stop drinking caffeinated beverages. Caffeine enters the bloodstream 30-60 minutes after you consume it. It has a half-life of 3-5 hours. Caffeine affects your body by blocking adenosine receptors that make you sleepy and reducing slow-wave sleep.Some studies have shown that having caffeine even six hours before bedtime can still impact your ability to fall and stay asleep. It can also increase anxiety and restlessness.

3: The number of hours before bed you should stop eating and drinking alcohol. When you eat late at night, you’re going against your body’s circadian rhythm. Insulin resistance kicks in and extra macronutrients are stored as fat instead of being burned throughout the day. Plus you run the risk of heart burn, acid reflux and indigestion right before bed.

Alcohol - Long story short, your body treats alcohol as a poison and will not rest until it is fully metabolized. Higher levels of alcohol in the bloodstream at bedtime causes disruptive REM sleep and leads to tiredness and poor concentration the next day.

2: The number of hours before bed you should stop working.

Working before bed heightens your anxiety and overstimulates your brain. The screens you’re using also emit blue light that makes your body think it’s time to wake up. If the anxiety of having more to do is keeping you up, try creating a to-do list instead. It may allow you to rest and be ready to go back to them the next day.

1: The Number of Hours Before Bed You Should Avoid Screen Time

On average, Americans spend 50 minutes on their phone before bed, and most keep an electronic device in their bedroom.

The problem goes deeper than the blue light that screens emit. The information you’re receiving stimulates your brain and can make you anxious — both adversaries of a good night’s sleep. Managing this is an important part of sleep hygiene. Keep your devices out of your room or at least put them facedown on silent mode. 0: The Number of Times You Should Hit the Snooze Button Most sleepers who hit the snooze button think it’ll improve their mental health, but the unfortunate truth is that they’re wrong. Reena Mehra, M.D., M.S., Director of Sleep Disorders Research at the Cleveland Clinic, said: “Much of the latter part of our sleep cycle is REM sleep, or dream sleep, which is a restorative sleep state. And so, if you’re hitting the snooze button, then you’re disrupting that.” This can also lead to a ‘fight or flight’ response, which increases our blood pressure and heartbeat.

The sleep we get in-between the times we hit snooze can lead to more grogginess, due to an incomplete sleep cycle. If you feel the need to hit the snooze button over and over, then you’re probably not getting enough sleep. Try an earlier bedtime or reducing your sleep deficit by taking a nap.

Lastly, take advantage of your health insurance.

Get tested for a deficiency in vitamin D. Most often, vitamin D is associated with its role in bone health. But vitamin D status is also tied to sleep. Optimal vitamin D levels can improve sleep quality by helping you fall asleep faster and increasing the time you spend asleep. On the other hand, vitamin D deficiency is linked to suboptimal sleep.

Get tested for low testosterone. Sleeping too much or too little is associated with lower testosterone levels. In both males and females, testosterone helps speed tissue recovery and stimulates red blood cell production. Testosterone also facilitates the body’s recovery processes. Research indicates that male testosterone levels and production are intertwined with sleep as the production of the hormone occurs overnight, peaking around 530 to 8a. Just because you are “medically in range” doesn’t mean you don’t have low testosterone. Firefighters should not be lumped in with the general public. The physical nature of the job demands that our bodies are managed differently. If you are concerned, my advice is to work with your primary care doctor and seek the care of an Urologist.