Beauty sleep is an essential element of the anti aging formula.
You feel better and look better when you have a sound night of restful slumber.
Your mind is much more alert and attentive and your body responds naturally.
Alternately, when you don’t sleep well or get a full night of sleep, you feel tired and sluggish all the more. Sleep deprivation can lead to serious consequences. For example, you are far more likely to become involved in a car accident when you’re not fully alert. In the United States alone, one in five drivers reported falling asleep at the wheel at some time in their life.
Beauty sleep is required for proper healing of your organs, including your skin. During sleep, your body has a chance to rejuvenate and heal itself. With the right amount of sleep, your appearance looks bright and vibrant. Lack sleep and your appearance suffers.
The Benefits of Beauty Sleep
Your face is constantly exposed to pollution, bacteria, chemicals, and harmful rays from the sun during the day. Stress also contributes to the aging process. You might spend a fortune on skin treatments, creams, and serums but ultimately you need sleep for a glowing complexion. During a good nights sleep, damaged skin can repair naturally.
Without adequate sleep you will look ancient and your skin will look dull and feel dry. Nothing can replace the healing power of a good nights' sound sleep.
An advantage of using skin care products prior to sleep is that some ingredients like Vitamin C and hydroquinone, (which can break down in direct sunlight), are much more effective when used at night.
Sleeping flat on your back increases your skin's metabolism, which allows for better absorption of night creams.
To avoid puffy eyes or a sallow, dull complexion, experts agree that you'll need more sleep than you're presently getting.
Another benefit of beauty sleep is that it can slow down the visible signs of the aging process since your body is given a chance to heal and repair itself.
When you’re awake, you’re much more likely to be touching your face, which transfers bacteria and oils from your hands. Since most sane people wash their face before bed, your face is clean and clear from oils. That helps diminish acne.
Lack of sleep can compromise your body's immunity to bacteria and viruses. It can also contribute to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and type II diabetes.
Sleep may be instrumental in reinforcing memories and beauty sleep is essential to processing complex emotions.
Recent research indicates a relationship between insufficient sleep and the inability to lose or even maintain weight. When you stay up beyond your bedtime, you’re more prone to be snacking of high calorie foods inadvertently. When you’re sleeping, you’re not eating!
Your body builds bone and muscle during sleep, which naturally lends to better skin tone.
During sleep your body secretes a growth hormone that repairs and regenerates tissue throughout the body.
Many of your body's cells get to work during sleep. They increase production of other like cells and reduce the breakdown of proteins. This allows your body to repair any damage that happened during the day and contributes to the true meaning of 'beauty sleep'.
During sleep is when the brain is able to sort out and process information you absorbed during the day.
Dark circles are common when you become sleep deprived. If you have a hard time falling asleep, it's vital that you try methods to soothe you into sleeping at the same time each night. Listening to relaxing music, reading a book, or taking a warm bath or shower before bed can help you settle in and truly relax enough to drift off into a sound sleep.
How to Improve Beauty Sleep
Occasionally, you can make up for lost sleep by sleeping a little longer the next day, but if inadequate sleep is a routine, you'll need help! The average person needs at least eight hours of sleep every night, but it can vary from person to person.
Get in the habit of going to bed before 10 PM if at all possible. When night arrives, your bodies natural rhythm is set to sleep. Overriding the desire for sleep interferes with it’s healing abilities. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the most important hours for detoxification and rejuvenation are before midnight.
Therefore, the earlier you go to bed, the better. For the most restful and restorative sleep, be sure that your environment is conducive for sleep. Sleep naked or sleep in cotton clothing that allows your skin to breathe. Keep your window open at least a few inches year round to provide plenty of fresh air.
Avoid eating for at least two hours before sleeping. This ensures that your body’s energy can be used for healing and rejuvenation instead of digestion. If you get hungry before bed, have a piece of fruit instead of fatty foods. Fruit is cleansing to your body and is digested quickly.
A great deal of your body’s healing work takes place during beauty sleep. Without the need to attend to all of the functions of daily life, your immune system and organs can focus attention on cleansing and restoration. This is the time when your body does major housecleaning, takes care of wastes that have accumulated during the day, and repairs cellular damage.
