Ensure You Get Your Beauty Sleep
The notion of ‘Beauty Sleep’ has often been dismissed as a myth but research is growing that supports the theory that 6 - 8 hours of restful sleep per night really can enhance your appearance. Why? Because it is at this time that your body heals and repairs itself. Skin treatments which contain “active ingredients” are therefore best suited for use just before bedtime to further enhance the repairing of skin whilst you sleep.
So if you are having trouble sleeping or need some advice on how to get a good night’s worth of beauty slumber, then here are some helpful specialist tips which are sure to help.
Steps
- Aim for 7-8 hours sleep. This is the guideline amount of sleep for the average adult, although everybody's body clock works slightly differently. This is enough time for your body to repair and look after itself, but not too much that you wake up feeling worse.
- Get into a routine, if you always sleep at the same time, your body will get used to it, and you'll find it easier to wake up when you need to in the morning, and you'll find it easier to sleep in the evening.
- Make the most out of your beauty sleep:
- Sleep on your back to avoid wrinkles or puffiness on your face. It'll also cause less back and neck pain than sleeping on your front.
- Wash your face thoroughly to give your skin the night to breath.
- Enhance the repair/re-moisturizing that occurs overnight by using an overnight moisturizer suitable for your skin type. Include an eye-cream in your nighttime moisturizing routine to prevent puffiness under your eyes when you wake up.
- Use a plump pillow. Two pillows cause a bad neck, but one plump pillow will keep your head slightly lifted which can avoid puffiness in the morning.
- Use a replenishing overnight hair treatment every now and then, as long as you'll have time to rinse it out in the morning.
- Tire yourself out throughout the day so that you'll be nice and sleepy when it comes to bedtime:
- Engage in some form of Improve Your Workout Regimen during the day, but not just before bedtime. As well as keeping you fit and healthy, exercise will also use up your energy, leaving you tired enough to sleep in the evening. Even if you just walk to the shops instead of getting the bus, or taking the dog out for a fast paced walk, it's better than sitting around all day. However you shouldn't do exercise for at least 2 hours before you plan on going to bed. This is because it boosts your endorphins and blood circulation, making it hard to doze off.
- Refrain from taking mid day naps. Naps are never a deep enough sleep for your body to really benefit from it. In fact you probably often wake up from a mid day nap feeling more groggy than when you went to sleep. Napping in the middle of the day will make you go to bed later than you usually would, which means you're missing out on your proper sleep. If you're feeling tired then have a cup of tea and go for a walk in the fresh air outside to wake you up.
- Prepare your mind and body for sleep so that you won't be lying awake when you go to bed. There are several ways you can improve how quickly you can fall asleep:
- Deal with stress well before bedtime. Get any work done and out of the way so that you don't worry about it when trying to sleep. If there's any unresolved issues that keep playing on your mind, try dealing with them, either by working out a solution to the issues, or by talking to someone else about it to help yourself to deal with it. Then, by the time you go to bed you'll have nothing on your mind to keep you awake.
- Spend time relaxing for about an hour before you plan on going to bed. It'll make your sleep so much better if you do. Don't play any video games or watch TV in this time as it just keeps your brain active. You could have a bubble bath, listen to relaxing music, lie in bed with some candles lit and a good book to read, watch the stars, meditate or write in a diary. Make sure that you are ready for bed by a reasonable time, feeling well pampered and ready for the next day to come.
- Have a glass of milk. Warm milk before bedtime can actually help you to sleep because it encourages the release of melatonin and serotonin, hormones which will help you get your sleep.
- Your evening meal should be light and should be eaten ideally, 3-5 hours before retiring. Many people eat their largest meal in the evening, and their lightest meal at midday, but actually it would be better to have it the other way around. Going to bed straight after a large meal can cause stomach pains, discomfort, and bloating. Try to avoid carbs as they can cause you to wake up with a less defined complexion. And definitely avoid caffeinated drinks in the hours before bed as they are stimulants and will keep you awake. Try herbal teas as a supplement.
- Ensure that your bedroom is set up for sleeping in. Get rid of annoying flashing lights, ticking clocks and things that look scary in the dark. Make sure that you have curtains, and can close the door enough to be dark. Cracks of light are annoying and can keep you awake. Also, make sure that you can't hear noise, such as other family members watching TV, and if you can then try to ask for it to be turned down/off.Ensure that bedrooms are well-ventilated throughout the day and that room temperature upon retiring is about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} as this is the best temperature for inducing sleep.
- Invest in a comfortable bed. Ideally a mattress should be firm enough to support your back and soft enough to let you relax on it. The recommended time to keep a mattress before replacing it is seven years. If yours is old or uncomfortable then perhaps it's worth looking at buying a new one. As well as this, ensure that you keep your bed sheets nice and clean and fresh. It'll make bedtime so much better. Try using lavender scented fabric conditioner on your bed sheets to make it even more relaxing.
- Use silk pillow cases. They're better for your skin, prevent wrinkles, prevent hair breakage, and don't give you messy hair while you sleep.
Tips
- It can take a while to settle into a good sleeping pattern, stick at it until your body clock gets a chance to fully adjust to it.
- Set an alarm for every morning, even the weekend, to make sure that you always get up at the same time each day.
- Have some herbal tea and a bubble bath. It will relax your body.
- Try putting a cucumber slice over each eye for about 15 minutes to reduce puffiness.
- Avoid any stimulants for about two hours before you want to go to sleep. This includes nicotine, alcohol and caffeine.
- A good sleeping pattern won't just improve your appearance, but also makes you less likely to suffer from obesity and cardiovascular problems. It will also make stress easier to deal with, which can help you avoid a variety of other health problems which are linked to stress.
- Be organized, getting a good sleeping pattern may mean you have to alter your other daily habits such as meal times, what time you do work or what you do late in the evening.
- Studies have shown that people who get the proper amount of sleep are more attractive than people who don't, so remember that.
- Exfoliate your skin before bed to let your pores breathe overnight and reduce oily skin.
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