So just what is the importance of sleep when it comes to your skin? What's important to remember here is that it's when we sleep that our body is at its most restorative. This is when it will get to work healing wounds, rejuvenating cells, and generally ensuring that we are looking and feeling our very best. Throughout the day our skin is bombarded by radiation, dirt, and grime and by physical stress and it's only by sleeping that we can fully recover from this.
This is something that you know intuitively; when you've had a rough night's rest you'll see big bags under your eyes and if this continues for a long time then you'll tend to have a somewhat grey complexion. The longer this continues, the more your skin will suffer. And if you really aren't getting enough sleep, then you'll find it can even upset your hormonal balance.
How to Get More Restorative Sleep
So better sleep = better skin. That's all well and good but what can you do about your sleep if it's not very good quality right now?
Here are a few suggestions that can make a big difference:
Take Sleep Seriously
The first and most important point is simply to start treating sleep with the respect it deserves. Don't go to bed late thinking you'll 'make up for it later. Sleep will impact every aspect of the way you feel, look, and perform and the negative effects can be cumulative with time. Make getting enough, high-quality sleep a priority.
Drink Less
If you are drinking even a couple of glasses of wine or beer a night, then this will be badly hurting the quality of your sleep. Alcohol leads to dehydration, it increases your heart rate and prevents you from getting fully restorative deep sleep.
Take a Hot Shower Before Bed
This is one easy change that can have a huge impact on your sleep. A hot shower will stimulate the production of melatonin in your body and thus help you to sleep like a baby. It also naturally relaxes the muscles.
Avoid Screen Time
For an hour before bed, avoid looking at computer screens or phones. Your brain registers this wavelength of light as sunlight because it's a similar point on the spectrum. Spend the last hour reading quietly and you'll reduce your cortisol and sleep much better as a result!
Consider a Daylight Alarm
While you want to avoid screen time during the evening though, this same 'blue light' is actually very beneficial when you're just waking up. Try getting a daylight alarm that works by simulating the effects of a sunrise first thing in the morning by producing light at just the right wavelengths and then getting gradually brighter.
- Misty Cassady
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