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.

In a refreshing departure from traditional workouts, an international team of researchers has identified a joyful and highly effective way to reduce stress, build resilience, and enhance well-being—dancing. According to a recent study published in the Psychology of Sport & Exercise, dancing not only lifts your mood but also triggers a powerful biological response that supports mental health.

“By dancing, we can tap into a natural stress-relief mechanism that enhances our resilience and helps us cope with daily pressures,” said Jonathan Skinner, co-author of the study and a researcher at the University of Surrey in the UK. “It’s fascinating to see how something as enjoyable as dance can have such profound effects on our mental health.”

The study highlights how dancing encourages the release of feel-good hormones such as endorphins and oxytocin. These chemicals are known to reduce anxiety and foster social bonding. Researchers observed a decrease in levels of cortisol—the stress hormone—as well as reductions in heart rate and blood pressure among participants who danced regularly.

Beyond the biological benefits, dancing offers psychological advantages too. It allows for emotional expression, strengthens social connections, and can be a gateway to a sense of community. “Encouraging people to move together can create a sense of belonging and support while enhancing their ability to cope with stress,” Skinner added.

Mental Health Concerns Are On Rise Globally

These findings come at a time when mental health concerns are on the rise globally. Experts are now advocating for dance to be incorporated into community health programs, schools, and wellness initiatives. The accessibility of dance is a key advantage—it can be done solo or in groups, at home or in studios, and requires no special equipment, making it an inclusive form of exercise.

In fact, a 2022 review published in Frontiers in Physiology echoed similar conclusions. It noted that dancing improves both physical and emotional health in children and adolescents, and recommended that policymakers and educators seriously consider dance-based programs to promote long-term physical activity.

For adults, dance can be a fun way to meet the World Health Organisation's recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, along with muscle-strengthening exercises on two or more days.

The style of dance also plays a role in how many calories you burn. According to Healthline, a 150-pound person can burn around 118 calories in 30 minutes of ballroom dancing and up to 207 calories doing swing. Ballet improves strength and posture, Zumba boosts cardiovascular endurance, and even pole dancing is gaining popularity among older adults for its fitness benefits.

Whether it is salsa, hip-hop, or a kitchen dance party, the rhythm of movement could be just what your body and mind need. In a world that often prioritises high-intensity routines and rigid schedules, dance offers a more joyful, expressive path to health.

Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk scored a huge legal victory that restricts compounding pharmacies from marketing or selling cheaper, unapproved versions of its blockbuster weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy. On Monday, US District Judge Mark Pittman denied the Outsourcing Facilities Association's bid for a preliminary injunction that would have prevented the FDA from taking action against its members for making copies of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy.

What Do Compounding Pharmacies Do?

Compounding is a process where pharmacies mix ingredients of a drug to create a specialised version for specific patients. Say someone is allergic to a dye in a branded medication or needs a liquid form, and the main manufacturer only sells capsules. In that case, the patient can turn to a compounded version or the liquid form. Moreover, when drugs are in short supply, they can be compounded in larger quantities to help fill the gap.

Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to these compounding firms when they didn't have enough money to afford the costly weight loss treatments. The prices of both Wegovy and Ozempic rose exponentially, given the skyrocketing demand in the last two years. Notably, the Texas judge's verdict came in response to a February lawsuit from a compounding trade group against the FDA's determination that the active ingredient in those drugs, semaglutide, is no longer in shortage in the US. The decision also means the FDA can start targeting federally regulated 503B pharmacies, which manufacture compounded drugs in bulk with or without prescriptions, after May 22. The agency’s actions can include product seizures and warning letters to pharmacies.

How Do Semaglutides Work?

Semglutide is the synthetic version of GLP-1, a natural hormone produced in the intestines that regulates blood sugar, appetite, and digestion. Now, every time you eat, your body produces various hormones, including GLP-1. These are called post-nutrition hormones and help you absorb the energy you just consumed.

GLP-1 travels to your pancreas, prompting it to produce insulin. It also travels to the hypothalamus in your brain, which gives you the feeling of being full or satiated. Ozempic imitates this hormone, thereby silencing the food chatter in the brain. Interestingly, for some people this food chatter is really quiet ( people with low appetite), and for others, it is an outburst (people who generally binge eat.) So with Ozempic, silencing this self-talk in the brain, people tend to lose their appetite and eventually weight.

However, it is important to note that losing weight includes not just fat but muscle as well. Losing too much muscle can lead to reduced strength and a shorter life span. Notably, records show that most people who start taking them stop it at 12 weeks; therefore, it is important for some but not for others.

As we today observe the World Dance Day, let us look at what dancing can help us with. Of course, the physical benefits are there. When you move your body, do any sort of physical activities, you are working out in some form and it helps you stay fit. Like everyone have their fitness regime, your dance routine can also help you stay fit. In fact there are certain fitness regime, including Zumba that keeps you fit through dance.

However, the benefits go much beyond just physical fitness, dancing can actually help you live a stress free life.

TikTok Dances For Mental Health

In one of the latest trends in TikTok, people are bringing back pangs of nostalgia to the internet with their 90s dance on rapper Doechii's song 'Anxiety' from the "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air".

Why is this trend important? With big names also jumping in and dancing to the rhythms, including Wil Smith and Tatyana Ali, experts say that this is helping ordinary people normalize anxiety.

Certain anxiety disorders are marked by persistent, or excessive worry. It could be fear about situations. As per the Mayo Clinic, these moments of anxiety can include panic attacks and sudden episodes of intense fear or discomfort

Research suggest that creative activities, including dancing can help relieve this stress. Dancing also engages multiple areas of the brain and demands full attention, which can then shift the focus from anxiety feelings. Supporting this idea, a 2021 study from UCLA Health found that conscious dance led to mental health improvements in a large majority of participants, particularly those dealing with anxiety, depression, or a history of trauma.

Dancing: A Complete Stress Buster

Dance involves full-body movement and coordination. This kind of physical activity stimulates the release of endorphins—natural chemicals in the brain that act as mood boosters and stress relievers. During a panic attack, when anxiety can feel overwhelming, these endorphins help calm the body and mind.

Engaging in dance also activates deep breathing patterns, especially in structured styles like Indian classical dance. This is important because panic attacks often lead to rapid, shallow breathing or hyperventilation. The breath control involved in dancing can help slow things down and regulate the body’s response.

In addition, dance improves body awareness. When someone is in the middle of a panic attack, they often feel disconnected or dissociated from reality. Focusing on movement—on the placement of your arms, the rhythm of your steps, the tension in your muscles—can bring attention back to the present. This grounding effect helps reduce the intensity of the attack and prevents it from escalating.

Dance as a Distraction and a Mindfulness Tool

Experts explain that one reason dance can be so effective is because it serves as a powerful distraction. Instead of spiraling into anxious thoughts, the brain is forced to concentrate on movement, rhythm, and coordination. This temporary shift in focus can prevent panic from taking over.

Dance also builds mindfulness, a practice often recommended in therapy. Whether it's through a slow classical routine or a high-energy freestyle session, dance requires attention to the now. The combination of mental focus and physical release gives the body a chance to reset and relax.