Your day does not end when you close your laptop; it ends when your body and brain are actually ready to sleep. We call this transition the "third half" of your day, and a simple routine makes it far easier.
The 3-2-1 Rule#
- Three Hours Before Bed: No more big meals. A heavy meal close to bedtime can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.
- Two Hours Before Bed: No more work. Stepping away from work stress clears the mental "open loops" that keep your brain active while you are trying to rest.
- One Hour Before Bed: No more screens, or at least dim them right down. Use this time for reading a physical book, meditation, or light stretching. Our evening light guide explains why brightness matters more than the colour of the light.
Caffeine sits outside the 3-2-1 rule because its cutoff is usually much earlier and depends on the dose and how fast you clear it; see when to stop drinking coffee. A cooler bedroom helps too (why your body needs to cool down for sleep).
The shift from a "fight or flight" state to a "rest and digest" state is not instantaneous. These habits give your nervous system a gradual on-ramp into sleep.
ARC sends a wind-down notification before your bedtime, and by then your caffeine cutoff has already passed, so the routine starts on time without you having to remember it.