Dark circles, panda eyes, puffy face, lacklustre skin. These are all things we have experienced after dragging ourselves out of bed at our 6:30 am alarm after a rough night’s sleep. Beauty sleep is a real, scientifically-backed phenomenon. A good night's sleep can keep us balanced and help us deal with everything we might encounter throughout the day. While a bad night’s sleep is instantly recognisable on our faces.
Nowadays, with all of our screens, books, and other distractions, it’s easy to find yourself pushing back your bedtime further and further. Especially if you have had a full day at work and you feel like this sacred time before you sleep is the only time you’ve had all day to spend for yourself, doing something you enjoy. This is called revenge bedtime procrastination and it is the number one culprit for stealing a good night of beauty sleep.
Below are some self-care tips you can follow to ensure you are getting that all-important recharge to keep your skin, body, and mind balanced and healthy.
5 SELF-CARE TIPS FOR A BETTER BEAUTY SLEEP
1. SET A REGULAR BEDTIME
Contrary to popular belief that 8 hours a night, every night, will solve all of your problems, the amount of sleep each adult needs varies. Yes, normally it does fall between 7-9 hours a night, but listen to your body and decide what is best for you. Having a regular sleep routine is one of the best things you can do for your overall health. Your body will function at its optimum and feel and look healthier. This is because of something called our Circadian Rhythm. Our circadian rhythm is our 24-hour internal body clock that helps determine and balance between drowsiness and wakefulness. Therefore, when we disturb our natural circadian rhythm we can be slow and groggy, what we generally describe as ‘still half asleep’ when you're holding on to your morning coffee like a life buoy.
Our body's internal clock is a biological and innate rhythm, there's no fighting it. Altering your sleep schedule to give yourself a regular bedtime will keep you from battling with this internal clock and make your waking hours more fulfilled. The effects of a regular bedtime will be physically apparent on your face - think glowier, bouncier skin and brighter eyes. Start by choosing a bedtime that is realistic for your lifestyle. If you find it hard to achieve this in the beginning, start by adjusting your bedtime by 15-30 minutes each night.
2. AVOID CAFFEINE 6 HOURS BEFORE BED
Caffeine, although many of us would claim it is one of the natural wonders of the world, is a psychoactive substance that has energising and alert-prompting effects, i.e the enemy of sleep. Not only does caffeine interrupt the previously mentioned circadian rhythm, but it also blocks Adenosine, a sleep-promoting chemical that builds up in our bodies throughout the day. Caffeine can make it nearly impossible to fall asleep, and when you do your sleep may feel interrupted and unsatisfying.
While you might enjoy a mid-morning coffee to energise your day, avoiding caffeine later in the day will do wonders for your quest for the perfect night's sleep. Stopping caffeine consumption 6 hours before sleep is recommended. So, now that you’ve figured out your regular bedtime routine, you can calculate when you can have your last caffeine fix without the energising chemical messing with your sleep.
Instead of a coffee, opt for herbal tea in the evening to help you relax, while still satiating the urge for a hot drink. Herbal teas have been used for centuries as natural sleep and anxiety remedies. There are many herbal teas with different additional health benefits. Find one that you love and let it be a signal to your body each night that it’s time to wind down.
3. CREATE A CALMING SKINCARE ROUTINE
This step has two wonderful benefits. Not only is a spa-like skincare routine an extremely calming and relaxing bit of me-time to unwind at the end of the day, but nighttime is also the time where the skin does most of its regenerating and therefore when your skincare products will pack the best punch.
The skin is far more permeable at night, meaning it will absorb more of the potent active ingredients housed in your skincare products, and leave your skin revitalised and visibly improved by morning. Therefore, during your nighttime skincare routine is the best time to include those glow-boosting serums with high doses of vitamins and skin-loving nutrients.
Turn your scientifically charged skincare routine into a nightly spa ritual by using rich, aromatic products, slowing down the process, and taking 10 minutes to slow yourself down at the end of the day. Applying your products mindfully by learning some basic facial massage techniques will make you feel like you are in your favourite spa.
4. SET THAT SCREEN DOWN
Blue light has been a bit of a buzzword over the past few years. It refers to the light produced by mobile phone screens which mimics daylight, therefore keeping you more awake and alert. This is obviously not conducive to falling asleep easily. However, the main reason that using screens before bed is so bad for our sleep is because of the content we are consuming.
Scrolling through the news these days can be a pretty unpleasant experience, to say the least. It may spark emotions of fear, anger, and anxiety. Scrolling through social media or responding to texts can also have your mind whirring, stressing about plans or social interactions. Even something like reading a thrilling book on our kindle can raise our heart rate and get our imagination running wild. Trying to set your screen downs an hour before your regular bedtime can help your mind, and therefore your body, wind down.
5. CREATE AN AMBIENCE IN YOUR BEDROOM
Creating a safe and calming space within your bedroom is one of the easiest and most important ways to support a good night of beauty sleep. A cosy and comfortable bedroom might mean different things to everyone but there are a few tried and tested methods to create a cloud-like effect in your room.
Not only do silk pillowcases and sheets make it feel like you are sleeping in a literal princess bed, but they also have a myriad of benefits for your hair and skin. The smooth material means there is less friction on your skin and hair which can cause breakage in the hair and inflammation on the skin. They are also less drying, meaning they won't absorb all of that skincare you have just spent time applying, and leave you with soft plump skin in the morning.
Ambient sound can also help you fall asleep if you struggle with racing thoughts while you're trying to fall asleep in silence. There is white noise, ambient sounds, calming music, or guided meditation. It is a personal choice and might take a bit of trial and error to find something that works for you. Headspace or Calm are good places to start.
Sometimes, life gets hectic and prioritising your sleep starts falling down the list. Every once in a while, it’s useful for all of us to consider our sleep schedule and routine and look for ways we can improve it. Making small changes to improve our sleep can have numerous knock-on effects in our daily life including visibly healthier and more youthful skin, a more energised and mobile body, and a clearer and happier mind. Sleep tight!