With heightened interest in anti-aging and skin health, we have become more committed than ever to taking care of our skin. We get facials, treatments and injections…we do face masks while we are watching TV. However, it takes more than just time and money - having beautiful skin is a lifestyle commitment. What if I told you that just two days of sleep deprivation can negatively affect your perceived health and attractiveness, sleepiness, and even trustworthiness, according to a 2017 study? (The Royal Society, 2017) I mean I know that I don’t feel great when I choose Netflix over my slumber, but now you’re telling me it could be making me look more unsightly? Furthermore, if we sleep 8 hours on average per night, that totals to 1/3 of our entire lifespan! Getting good quality sleep is an integral part of any skincare routine and begins with good sleep hygiene so that we can all wake up refreshed and glowing!
What having a great sleep routine can do for you-
While we are sleeping, our bodies are in rest and repair mode. Our cells get to work cleaning themselves, filtering our blood, and engaging in muscle, skin, and tissue repair. While our bodies are sleeping, our skin (which is our largest organ) is busy repairing itself, healing cuts and bruises, and sending oxygen and antioxidants to areas in need of restoration. It sends collagen to the epidermis to prevent wrinkles from forming. Not getting a good night’s sleep is directly linked to increased wrinkles, paler skin, hanging, swollen eyes, and dark under-eye circles. Engaging in healthy sleep hygiene will cause you to wake up refreshed and beautiful!
So here are my top tips for good sleep hygiene - so we can all know the true meaning of beauty sleep
1. Get on a consistent sleep schedule
Easier said than done, right? Well, this tip comes from the fact that our bodies run based on our inner clock, or circadian rhythm, which rules our hormones and our body temperature cycles. In the morning, our bodies release cortisol to wake us up and at night, produce melatonin to put us to sleep. Abiding by a consistent sleep schedule will allow your hormone cycles to stay consistent and allow you to feel more energized in the morning. This means that you are going to sleep at a time that is within a 30 minute window and waking up between a 30 minute window every day. It’s all about priorities, people! More energy means bright eyes and a bigger smile!
2. The colder the better.
Studies show that sleeping at 67 degrees is optimal for the health of your body. Our circadian rhythm controls our temperature cycles. During night time, the body cools itself one to two degrees. This is thought to be because the body is conserving energy and directing it towards other things that are of higher priority. Blood flow decreases from the extremities and increases towards vital organs like the heart. If you are sleeping in a room that is too hot, your nobody will have to work extra hard to cool down and since the body temperature increases when it is doing work, it will assume that you are not fully asleep resulting in a disrupted night of sleep. Regulating the temperature in your bedroom to anywhere between 67 and 70 degrees will create the optimal environment for a good night’s rest, so your body can do the important things like healing that pimple on your chin!
3. Caffeine.
Regrettably, we have to talk about caffeine. The more I learn, the more I wish I didn’t learn… because I have come to rely on my afternoon cup like the earth relies on the sun. I just love it. But here’s the thing with caffeine - it is a drug. And the drug of caffeine has a half-life of about 5 hours which means it takes the body 5 hours to filter out half of the amount of the caffeine present in that cup of coffee. This means that if you are like me and drink that afternoon cup around 3pm, by 8pm, your body has filtered out just about half of that caffeine. It will take another 5 hours to filter out another half of what is left over, disrupting your melatonin production and ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. The best thing you can do is try to delay that morning cup for as long as you can, and to not drink caffeine past 12pm. Also, be mindful about other caffeine-loaded drinks like diet coke and iced tea that you pair with dinner.
4. Set the vibe to wind down.
Remember your circadian rhythm that controls your hormones? Well at night, your body is decreasing cortisol and increasing melatonin. So we want to avoid things that are known to increase your cortisol- like a phone, a tough conversation, even people who work out at night report that they have a more difficult time falling asleep. So set the mood, your brain loves red light at night! Start to dim the lights and get off the screens. Screens are a double whammy because they are known to increase cortisol as well as send awake signals to the brain because of the harsh blue light they emit. At the very least, change your phone settings to “night mode” so that it can filter out some of that harmful blue light. Speaking of light, if you are watching TV, studies show that the higher the contrast between your TV and your bedroom, the worse off you are. So keep the lights on in your bedroom and dim the TV (as opposed to a really bright TV in an all-black bedroom).
Try out some of these tips and comment below what works for you! :)
Goodnight!