So many of us struggle to clock in a solid eight hours of shut-eye—so much so that our collective quest for a restful night’s sleep has reached sleepmaxxing heights (even if it means faking it till you make it—ahem, morning sheds). I can’t say when my sleep last constituted beauty rest, but I don’t need a sleep tracker to confirm I’m not soundly snoozing (read: stirring awake several times overnight, waking up super groggy, feeling fatigued during the day). But I have enough anxiety as it is without the added pressure of extreme sleep measures and apps scoring my “performance”—give me the bare minimum to get Sleeping Beauty-worthy deep slumber.
It seems SleepTok has found the answer in the easy, yet highly-effective 3-2-1 sleep method. This simple bedtime routine goes back to the basics and proves less is more: three straightforward pre-sleep tweaks to set your mind and body up to fall and stay asleep stat. Here’s what to know about the 3-2-1 sleep rule and how to apply it for the best sleep of your life.
Experts Consulted
At The Everygirl, we believe that wellness advice should be grounded in accurate, science-backed information to ensure our readers can make informed decisions about their health and well-being. That’s why we prioritize consulting trusted, credible experts—so every piece of content is both reliable and empowering.
DR. ANGELA HOLLIDAY-BELL, MD
Dr. Angela Holliday-Bell is a board-certified physician, certified sleep specialist, speaker, and founder of The Solution Is Sleep. She leads the Art of Sleep series on the Alo Moves platform to educate members on the science behind sleeping, enhancing sleep quality with a bedtime routine, creating a consistent sleep schedule, and how to fall (and stay) asleep.
What Is the 3-2-1 Sleep Method, And Why Does It Work?
Three hours before bedtime: Refrain from eating heavy meals or drinking alcohol
Having a nightcap or some comfort food near bedtime might seem harmless, but the body needs ample time to process what you drink and eat. Otherwise, you’re putting your digestive system to work when the body should be powering down and prioritizing resting and recovering. “Heavy food can lead to indigestion or discomfort that disrupts sleep, and alcohol can interfere with your sleep cycles, causing more fragmented rest,” explained Dr. Angela Holliday-Bell, a board-certified physician, certified sleep specialist, and founder of The Solution Is Sleep. Want to be asleep by 11 p.m.? That means finishing off your dinner and wine no later than 8 p.m.
If your hunger cues are begging for a late-night snack, Dr. Holliday-Bell suggested opting for a light variety that’s high in protein and complex carbohydrates, like Greek yogurt with berries and nuts. The duo won’t interfere as much with your digestion and can help prime the body for better quality sleep: Complex carbs promote blood sugar balance as you sleep (which lowers the likelihood of nighttime awakenings and restlessness), while L-tryptophan, an amino acid found in protein, can increase sleepiness and decrease the time it takes to fall asleep. If you’re used to having an evening drink, sip on chamomile or mint tea, which has both calming and digestive benefits, as an alternative to alcohol.
Two hours before bedtime: Stop mentally-stimulating tasks
Sometimes, duty calls—whether it’s long-awaited email responses or a fast-approaching deadline—but working too close to sleep can translate to a night of tossing and turning. “Mental stimulation keeps your brain in ‘go’ mode and activates stress hormones that can make it harder to relax,” Dr. Holliday-Bell said. “High cortisol activates the body’s stress response, which interferes with the slow brainwave activity needed for deep sleep. As a result, you spend more time in lighter sleep stages and wake up feeling less refreshed.”
Although cortisol is known as the stress hormone (see: cortisol face), it also plays a role in regulating sleep-wake cycles, peaking just after you wake up. So when you do anything mentally-taxing a couple of hours prior to bedtime, you’re throwing off the natural order (AKA the circadian rhythm) and your chances of restorative rest. Instead, switch to soothing, low-stakes activities, like listening to music, taking a warm shower, or catching up with your roommate or partner, which train your brain to transition into a resting state, Dr. Holliday-Bell added. Whatever you do, shut the laptop at least two hours before shut-eye.
One hour before bedtime: Turn off screens
More not-so-great news if scrolling is your go-to bedtime ritual (guilty) or revenge bedtime procrastination has you watching The Summer I Turned Pretty late at night (guilty again): “Evening screen exposure can suppress melatonin, effectively shifting or delaying your circadian rhythm and making it more difficult to fall asleep,” Dr. Holliday-Bell said. “The blue wavelength of light has the strongest alerting effect on your circadian rhythm.” That goes for the light from your TV, smartphone, laptop, and tablet. They’re a source of stimulation and artificial color that mimics daylight, the opposite of what the body needs as you’re getting ready for bed (especially if the content you’re consuming is distressing).
While some studies question how much screens actually affect your sleep, many experts agree if you’re struggling with falling or staying asleep through the night, it’s worth limiting blue light exposure before bed. Instead, use the last hour wisely by giving your mind a pause. “Dim the lights, and do something calming without a screen, like reading a book, journaling, meditating, or stretching,” Dr. Holliday-Bell said. If the “no phone before bed” rule goes out the window, at the very least, turn off notifications to prevent distractions that can trigger anxiety and enable your phone’s night vision feature to display a warmer yellow/orange tone.
The Takeaway
“The 3-2-1 sleep method creates a clear routine that gradually removes things that keep you wired, like food, stress, and screens, and replaces them with signals that tell your body it’s time to wind down,” Dr. Holliday-Bell states. “The core idea is to ease into sleep by creating space between your day and your bedtime.” But for the 3-2-1 sleep rule to work, it’s not about treating it as all-or-nothing or having a “perfect” nighttime ritual. Rather, it’s a straightforward way to make foundational sleep practices a habit, even if it looks like sticking with just one or two of the guidelines regularly.
“When you follow the same steps consistently, your body starts to expect sleep, which makes it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep,” Dr. Holliday-Bell pointed out. “It’s like setting the stage so your mind doesn’t have to do all the work when your head hits the pillow.” Give it a few nights to settle in, Dr. Holliday-Bell emphasized, and lying awake in bed could be nothing more than a distant memory. Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream…
Katherine Chang, Wellness Staff Writer
Katherine Chang is The Everygirl’s Wellness Staff Writer with over five years of experience in the health and wellness space. She navigates the latest wellness topics and trends through expert interviews and studies, and she’s always first in line to try them firsthand.
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