We all have those moments when we turn and shift in bed at two or three a.m. and wonder why we cannot get a good night's rest. And despite our excellent efforts, it just remains elusive. I, too, have always remained a victim of the bad quality of sleep. Here's a simple formula for sleep which I recently found: 10-3-2-1-0. It not only changes your sleep but also energizes you throughout the day and fixes your mind to work more productively.

Sleep does not come as a luxury, but as part of health. Poor sleep has been linked to severe health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and cognitive decline, which contributes to weakening the immunity system. According to professionals, seven to nine hours of good quality sleep at night provide healthy living.

Therefore, the 10-3-2-1-0 formula provides the practical approach towards good sleeping quality, whereby your body and mind prepare you to achieve comfortable and restful sleep.

Simple Sleep Guide Using the '10-3-2-1-0' Formula

10 Hours Before Bedtime

No, that late-afternoon cup of coffee is definitely tempting, but don't do it. Eliminate caffeine entirely 10 hours before bedtime. Caffeine is thought to have a half-life between 1.5 to 9.5 hours, so the caffeine in your body will persist long after you've finished your cup. Caffeine stops adenosine-the natural neurotransmitter that brings on sleep-anyway, making it harder to fall asleep. So, switch to herbal teas or decaf if you have problems sleeping at night.

3 hours before Bedtime

Alcohol is a poor sleeping aid after all. It distrurbs the sleep cycle of a person. Though it helps sleepers fall asleep quickly, it promotes fragmented sleep and will prevent the person entering deeper, restorative stages of sleep. Three hours before bedtime, experts advise people to quit alcohol. Avoid heavy meals during this time too. Foods that are fried, spicy, or rich in fat and sugar can lead to heartburn and a blood sugar crash, which are bad news for getting a good night's sleep.

2 Hours Before Bedtime

Your mind should also be prepared for sleep. This can be achieved with the hard stop on work not more than two hours before you intend to sleep. This will give your brain an indication that is the time to relax. If this is challenging, then you may do some form of meditation, deep breathing exercise, or reading some light, just to calibrate your mind. These activities make your pulse go down, and you clear all your thoughts, hence making it relatively easy for you to sleep.

1 hour before Bedtime

One of the major sleep disruptors is the screen. The blue light emitted from phones, tablets, and computers blocks the production of melatonin that triggers your body to go into sleep mode. Research shows that screen exposure causes delay in sleep and affects quality too. Aim to turn off all devices an hour before bed, so your body will be ready for a sleep engagement with deep, restful sleep.

0 Snooze Hits

We've all been there, when we click the snooze button, feeling guilty afterwards, but it is sabotaging your sleep. Researchers have found that the act of hitting the snooze button causes fragmented low-quality sleep that may even make you more drowsy. The secret to waking fresh and renewed lies in getting out of bed when that alarm goes off. By not hitting that snooze button, you're avoiding a much more regular sleep cycle and waking fresher.

Tips to Sleep Peacefully at Night

In addition to the formula, here are some more tips that can be used to help promote better sleep quality:

- Blackout Curtain: A curtain designed to block light from passing through it will make the dark so that it may help contribute to better sleep.

- Air Purifier: This air purifier can improve the quality and correctness of air associated with a lower amount of allergens, making the sleeper sleep better.

- Magnesium Glycinate Supplement: This might be used to relax your muscles and sleep better, especially in cases of bed-wind-down .

- Light Exercises at Night: Doing some light exercises such as yoga or stretching can prepare the body to sleep better.

Put the 10-3-2-1-0 formula into your schedule in the evening. This makes all the difference about how much you sleep right. Simply setting apart work and rest time and shutting down those electricity points, you are better to look forward to a night of rest and a refreshing slumber. You wake fresh, healthy, and ready to take on the day.

Too often, cancer diagnoses come out of the blue, or due to symptoms worsening with late diagnoses. However, researchers may have developed a new way to detect cancer early, about 10 years before the actual diagnosis. All of this can be achieved through a simple blood test.

The cancer the test will predict is neck and head cancer. Accounting for nearly 4% of all cancers in US, an estimated 68,000 men and women were diagnosed with it. However, this is not just a singular cancer, neck and head cancer is a group of diseases that start in the soft, moist lining of the nose, mouth, and throat.

To tackle this, researchers at Mass Eye and Ear, a member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system have developed a blood-based test that can diagnose this cancer with great accuracy.

Can Blood-Tests Predict Cancer?

Researchers have created a new and extremely precise blood test called HPV-DeepSeek. This test is specifically designed to find the smallest bits of cancer DNA from the HPV virus that have broken away from a tumor and entered the bloodstream.

It's much better than older tests because it checks for many more pieces of the viral DNA, the entire HPV code, which makes it highly sensitive and accurate. In fact, it correctly identified the cancer 99% of the time, even in its very first stages, easily beating current testing methods.

How Can We Detect Cancer Early?

Head and neck cancers caused by HPV are increasing, and right now, there’s no way to find them early. Doctors typically only discover them after a patient feels sick and the cancer is already advanced, often leading to severe treatments. The breakthrough here is that HPV-DeepSeek could be used to screen for cancer before a person ever has symptoms.

In one study, the test successfully spotted cancer in people who wouldn't be diagnosed until years later—up to nearly eight years early. Finding the cancer this soon could completely change how it's treated, allowing doctors to use gentler methods and save patients from harsh side effects. This potential for early detection is truly a game-changer.

Where Does Head and Neck Cancers Start

The vast majority of head and neck cancers are called squamous cell carcinomas. These start in the squamous cells, which are the flat cells that make up the mucosal lining (the wet, protective layer) of these areas:

• Mouth (Oral Cavity), this includes the lips, tongue, gums, the roof and floor of the mouth, and the lining of the cheeks.
• Throat (Pharynx), the throat is a tube with three parts:
• Upper part (Nasopharynx), which is behind the nose.
• Middle part (Oropharynx), which includes the back of the mouth, the tonsils, and the base of the tongue.
• Lower part (Hypopharynx), the lowest part of the throat, just above the voice box.
• Voice Box (Larynx). Which is a structure in the neck that holds the vocal cords. It also has a flap of tissue called the epiglottis, which keeps food out of the windpipe.
• Other less common one's head and neck cancers can also start in salivary glands and nasal cavity and sinuses.

Is HPV responsible For All Head & Neck Cancer Diagnosis?

In a separate, but related, development, the research team also tested a different, very sensitive blood test called MAESTRO for head and neck cancers not caused by HPV. The study published in Clinical Cancer Research, found that MAESTRO's job is to accurately find any tiny specks of cancer that might have been left behind after a patient has surgery.

Finding this remaining cancer is an important tool for doctors because it helps them predict which patients might have the cancer return, letting them decide if extra treatment, like radiation, is necessary. Ultimately, both HPV-DeepSeek and MAESTRO show that these new, advanced blood tests are a powerful way to make diagnoses more accurate and move toward truly personalized care for cancer patients.

At the Times Network Health Summit 2025, panelists were invited to discuss on the pressing issue of breast cancer and to focus on advancing breast cancer care. The session couldn't have been held at a more important time than now, as October is also the month of breast cancer awareness.

For the same experts from various fields were invited, including Anchal Sharma, a cancer survivor and social entrepreneur, founder of Canheal, a support group offering various services and resources to cancer patients; Dr Shyam Aggarwal, Chairperson Oncology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital; Dr Geeta Kadayaprath, Oncoplastic breast surgeon, and senior consultant and lead of Surgical Oncology at Apollo Athenaa Women's Cancer Centre; and Vishali Iyer, country head, communications, patient advocacy, CSR and business excellence & execution at Novartis. The session was moderated by Kalpana Sharma, Lifestyle and Health Editor, Times Now.

From A Survivor's POV

Sharma shared that she was diagnosed with cancer in 2017, during the time of her brother's wedding. This is why she continued hiding the news for 22 days, until all the functions were over. Learning from her own journey and struggles she founded Canheal, where people attend workshop from all over the places. "We do not just focus on building a community outside hospital, but also to decrease financial burden," she said.

She also shares the importance of such community, as it helps people who come from not so well-to-do backgrounds. Sharma speaks of a 27-year-old woman who had been diagnosed with cancer for the fifth time. Such people benefit from such communities.

Are People Aware Enough?

Dr Aggarwal said that when it comes to awareness, early diagnosis is utmost. "Not going for screenings makes one more vulnerable to breast cancer," he said. Dr Aggarwal also pointed out that while the guidelines recommend women above the age of 40 to be screened once in two years, less than 2% of women are actually getting screened. While, in contrast to this, in the US, the number is 80% and in the UK it is 70%.

"Awareness is there, but the implementation is not. This is why many women come to doctors at a much later stage in their cancer," he said.

Patriarchy Is An Obstacle In Breast Cancer Awareness

Dr Kadayaprath also pointed out that it is not just the stigma or the lack of awareness, but also denial of the disease and patriarchy that play a big role. "Women often do not get a chance to express themselves, they are the sole pillar around which the entire household works. So when there is a lump, if it is painless, she continues to do whatever she does," she points out.

Dr Kadayaprath also says that of all the top 10 priorities a woman has, her health comes at 11th, which also prevents her from talking about it.

She also warns people of the misinformation on social media, which usually makes it to the audience based on their relatability. "You only listen to things you want to accept. So, if someone is saying that biopsy spreads cancer, you will not get it done."

A New Language Of Awareness

Iyer brings an interesting point by stating that cancer journey is not just about telling people what to do, but also in the way you approach their journeys. She agrees with Sharma that no two cancer patients have the same journey, thus she says, "we must be careful of the language we use. We must know when to use medical terminology and when to listen to the patients fear" to ensure that the support is extended in right manner.

"Every time I wear tight jeans or belt, I get these UTI-like infections on the next day. First time when I observe this thing, the symptoms were mild, but third time, the symptoms got worse..." wrote a 26-year-old on a Tele-medicine/consulting app, almost three years ago. Now, a study published in the American Journal of Public Health is highlighting something very similar that even clothing choices could create conditions favorable for UTI.

According to clinical experts, wearing tight jeans or other restrictive clothing can significantly elevate the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs). These infections are among the most common bacterial illnesses, particularly in women, and are characterized by symptoms such as burning sensation during urination, urinary urgency, and pain in the lower abdomen.

Does Tight Clothing Lead To UTI?

The urinary tract is protected by multiple defense mechanism, which also includes flushing action of urine, antimicrobial properties of mucosal surfaces, and the balance of resident microflora. However, due to prolonged use of tight jeans or any such non-breathable garments, the balance could be disrupted.

Tight clothing reduces airflow in the genital area and traps heat and sweat. The resulting warm, moist environment facilitates bacterial growth, particularly of Escherichia coli (E. coli), which is the leading cause of UTIs. Friction caused by tight garments further irritates the skin and mucosa, allowing bacteria to multiply and migrate towards the urethra and bladder.

Read: Can A UTI Cost You Your Limbs? Explains Doctor

What Does The Study Say?

The recent study also highlights that synthetic, restrictive clothing could in fact, increase bacterial colonization. Non-breathable fabrics like polyester or spandex can trap perspiration and prevent evaporation. It can thus create an ideal habitat for microbes. The risk is even heightened in hot and humid climates, where sweating is more pronounced.

Does It Mean That Suits Can Cause UTIs?

Not necessarily, it is not the spandex itself that causes UTI, it is the unhygienic condition of its usage. The tight clothing or swimwear do not cause UTI, it happens when you do not change or clean your intimate area after wearing such clothing for a long time. The recommendation is to remove such clothing, especially after sweating or strenuous activity.

Read: Urine Color Chart- What Is Normal Vs What's Not?

Who Are At More Risk Of UTI?

While UTI affects both the genders, women are at more risk of it, due to their anatomical and physiological factors. The female urethra is shorter than the male urethra, which makes it easier for bacteria to ascend from the perineal area into the bladder. Statistically, almost half of all women will experience at least one UTI during their lifetime, compared to significantly lower prevalence in men.

There are also additional risk factors in women, which include hormonal fluctuations. During menopause, the decline in estrogen levels alters the vaginal flora, reducing protective lactobacilli and making the urinary tract more susceptible to infections. Furthermore, certain contraceptive methods, including diaphragms and spermicides, can disrupt the normal microbial balance and increase UTI risk.

Men and children may also develop UTIs. In pediatric cases, the prevalence is estimated at 1–2%, and in men, infections are often associated with underlying urological abnormalities or prostatic enlargement. Globally, healthcare systems treat approximately 8–10 million UTI cases annually.

What Are the Common Symptoms Of UTI?

• Dysuria (burning pain during urination)
• Increased urinary frequency and urgency
• Suprapubic or pelvic discomfort
• Cloudy or foul-smelling urine
• Hematuria (blood in urine)
• Urinary incontinence or urge incontinence
• Fatigue or malaise
• Flank pain or lower back pain (suggestive of kidney involvement)
• Systemic symptoms such as fever, chills, nausea, and vomiting in severe cases