As we rush around to meet life’s many demands, we often miss out on badly needed beauty sleep. When our head finally hits the pillow our minds are still whirring, or our kids wake us up, or our partner/spouse snores! We end up waking up looking pale with puffy, dark rimmed eyes.
But is there any real science behind “beauty sleep” or is it just a myth? Many experts say yes, because the skin’s rate of renewing cells is at its highest during the night. At night the skin is free from every day irritants such as ultraviolet light, pollution and smoking. Research also supports the notion that poor sleep patterns lead to poor health—and poor health can make us look a little less beautiful.
Even a quick catnap reduces the effects of stress by lowering the hormone cortisol, and stress plays a major role in aging. More importantly, in a study of more than 23,000 adults conducted at Harvard School of Public Health, those who took regular naps had a 37 percent lower risk of dying from a heart attack than people who didn’t nap, and taking occasional naps lowered the risk by 12 percent. When we fall short of our optimum eight hours, napping helps our bodies carry out the regenerative tasks that only occur during sleep to keep us healthy, alert and looking our best.
Savvy Sleep Strategies
- Stick to a regular sleep schedule. Timing affects your circadian rhythm, so if your weekday and weekend bedtimes differ by more than two hours, you may have trouble falling asleep on weeknights.
- Avoid stimulants: caffeine, alcohol and cigarettes before bed as they can trigger fitful sleep.
- Avoid big meals before bedtime. Overloading the digestive system after 8 p.m. takes energy away from restorative tasks that occur during sleep.
- Don’t eat junk food or salty foods for dinner as these cause your body to retain water, ending up with puffy eyes the next day.
- Cleanse, tone and moisturise every night before sleep – wearing make-up is a big no-no as it can cause breakouts.
- Turn off lights, computers, and anything that blinks. The sleep hormone melatonin is sensitive to even low levels of light.
- Get regular exercise, preferably in the afternoon (or at least 4 hours before sleep). Research shows an afternoon workout improves the quality of night time sleep. And a fit body sleeps better than an unfit one.
- Wind down with a warm bath, some quiet music, a good book, or a few yoga stretches just before you climb into bed.
- Wear socks to bed as it helps regulate body temperature and aids relaxation.
Bedtime Skin Care
- Always cleanse your skin (no excuses) before you climb into bed to remove make-up, dirt and pollution from the skin surface.
- Use a serum or anti-wrinkle cream with concentrated amounts of active botanicals. These work on fine lines, crows feet, dry skin and boost tone and elasticity.
- Follow with a nourishing night cream and eye cream.
- Water at least 2 litres of it, will encourage hydration and cell renewal within the skin – also helps the skin exfoliate naturally while you sleep.
- Sleep on your back to avoid sleep wrinkles.
- Wash your pillowcase once a day if you are prone to breakouts.
Good Bed Fellas
Botani Nourishing Body Oil: a luxurious blend of the finest botanical oils to soothe, protect from dehydration, and nourish the body with plant vitamins and anti-oxidants.
Numi Organic Jasmine Green Tea: Steep and place the biodegradable teabags over closed eyes to relieve puffiness (without the black tea stains). Blended with organic green tea and jasmine flowers.
Derma-e Age-Defying Night Crème – Astaxanthin & Pycnogenol® 56g is an advanced formula containing super antioxidants Astaxanthin and Pycnogenol®, and blended with anti-inflammatory and cellular renewal ingredients to renew and perfect skin. This powerful nutritive crème visibly refines skin irregularities, reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
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