The term ‘beauty sleep’ has been around for ages, but have you ever stopped to think about what it means? Does it imply that you can go to sleep and wake up looking stunning? Well, not exactly, but that doesn’t mean this is nothing more than a catchy phrase. You probably know that a good night’s sleep can help you feel more energized and alert. However, it has other benefits, and one of them is repaired skin. When you sleep, your sleep hormone goes up and your stress hormone goes down, which puts your body and your skin into a repair mode. Therefore, you cannot wake up looking like your favorite actress, but quality sleep will help you be the best version of yourself.
What are the benefits of beauty sleep?
No bags under your eyes
Have you ever spent the whole night studying and then went to school the next day looking more like a zombie than yourself? Lack of sleep can cause puffy eyes which are not really attractive.
Glowing skin
Every day your skin gets damaged by UV rays or pollution. When you sleep, your skin does its best to heal itself. In fact, some studies show that new skin cells grow faster when you are asleep. Do your skin a favor and cleanse it before bed to optimize this recovery period.
Healthier, stronger, and longer hair
Do you have weak and thin hair? If so, it is possible that you are not getting enough sleep. Beauty sleep leads to beautiful, fuller hair. It impacts hormones in your body, which impact your hair’s growth and appearance.
Improving your sleep quality
It is safe to say that sleep has many beauty-related benefits. But how can you ensure you get enough ZZZs every night?
Optimize your room
A lot of things in your room can affect the quality of your sleep, from the temperature and noise to external lights and furniture arrangement. To optimize your bedroom environment, minimize external noise, light, and even artificial light from devices. Also, make sure you have a comfortable mattress. If your bed is too soft or too firm, follow the Goldilocks’ example and find one that is just right.
Skip salty bedtime snacks
Salty snacks can contribute to stomach aches and make it hard for you to fall asleep. In addition, due to all that salt, your body will crave water, which means you will probably get up several times during the night. If you need to eat something before bed, eat an apple or a protein bar instead of salty junk food.
Spend more time in natural sunlight
Your body has a built-in clock called a circadian rhythm, which is responsible for keeping you awake during the day and telling your body when it is time to go to bed. Sunlight exposure during the day keeps your circadian rhythm healthy and helps you avoid sleep issues.
Turn off your phone
How many times have you chatted with your friends and then spent hours tossing and turning because you had a hard time falling asleep? Exposure to blue light which electronic devices emit can completely mess up your sleep routine because it tricks your body into thinking it’s daytime. Make sure you stop watching TV or using your phone two hours before bedtime.
Take a relaxing bath
If you have a hard time falling asleep, draw yourself a bath an hour before bed. Use bath salts that will help you relax and unwind. If you do not have time for a full bath, just take a shower or even bathe your feet in hot water.
To reap all the benefits of beauty sleep, you need to make sure that you get enough ZZZs. Otherwise, your body won’t get the opportunity to recover itself and you will wake up feeling even more tired than before.
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