The 10-10-10 rule for better sleep

I used to think the secret to a good night’s sleep was in the stuff – the perfect mattress, the cosiest pyjamas, the most soothing pillow spray. I’d spend hours (and an embarrassing amount of money) trying to curate the ideal sleep environment. But no matter how much I optimized my bedroom, I still found myself tossing and turning, watching the minutes tick by on my clock.

It wasn’t until I stumbled upon the 10-10-10 rule that I had my lightbulb moment. Or rather, my sunlight moment.

The rule is simple: Get 10 minutes of sunlight before 10 AM, and avoid bright screens after 10 PM. By aligning my light exposure with my body’s natural circadian rhythm, I could hack my way to better sleep.

I was sceptical at first. Could something so basic make a difference? But after a few days of 10-10-10, I was a convert. I fell asleep faster, slept deeper, and woke up actually refreshed.

Turns out, the key to a good night’s sleep was hiding in plain sight all along – I just needed to let the light in.

Boost your energy and fall asleep easily with the 10-10-10 rule

Spending most of our time indoors and looking at screens at night wreaks havoc on our circadian rhythms. Bright days and dark nights help regulate our sleep-wake cycle. But our modern lifestyle causes the opposite – we get too little sunlight during the day and too much artificial blue light at night.

The 10-10-10 rule can fix this problem and help you sleep better:

Get at least 10 minutes of sunlight before 10 AM each day.
Morning sun exposure increases cortisol by over 50%, boosting alertness and energy. Think of cortisol as a “waking up” hormone rather than a stress hormone. Without morning sunlight, you’ll miss the window to switch your brain from night mode to day mode.
Adjust sunlight exposure based on conditions.
On bright sunny days, 5-10 minutes is sufficient. On cloudy days, aim for 10-20 minutes. Never look directly at the sun and know that sunlight through windows or sunglasses doesn’t count.
Avoid bright blue light from devices after 10 PM.
Blue light at night suppresses melatonin, the “hormone of darkness” that makes you sleepy. Use dimmer, warmer lights in the evening. Enable dark/night mode on your phone and install f.lux on your computer to automatically dim screens.

Consistently following the 10-10-10 rule for 3 days straight will align your circadian rhythm, improve your energy during the day, and help you fall asleep quickly at night. You’ll rely less on caffeine and be able to focus better. Get your light exposure right to boost your mood and productivity.