Research confirms beauty sleep is the real deal. A good night’s sleep actually can make you more beautiful. From glowing hydrated skin and brighter eyes to fuller healthier hair, achieving the right amount of REM is still one of the most elusive beauty and age defying tools to add to your regime. But the good news is it’s available to us all and best of all because sleep promotes circulation and hydration it will maximise the effects of any natural oils and moisturisers applied before bed.
Without embarking on a clinical sleep study and mapping individual circadian rhythms to determine your optimum hours and pattern of sleep, let’s assume an average 7 to 9 hours of sleep scheduled between 9pm and 7am is generally ideal for attaining “beauty sleep”. It sounds so achievable. Yet why are so many of us skimping on this beauty essential?
At some time or another we are all guilty of neglecting our sleep needs. Life just gets in the way. Even for the most practised and skilled “sleepers” among us (like myself), busy lives, social outings, demanding work schedules, shift work in a 24/7 society, an affinity for bad TV and stressors beyond our control, all derail the best intentions for a healthy sleep routine.
To tackle these challenges and restore the beauty here are my top 8 sleep rituals for restful REM:
1) Lifestyle choices conducive to sleep: what and when you eat and regular exercise all significantly impact our ability to achieve a restful nights sleep. Choose to eat earlier or lower your carb intake if you eat late. Studies have shown regular daytime exercise is one of the best ways to improve sleep quality. Finally, avoid late consumption of caffeine and watch your alcohol intake, which disrupts REM and causes dehydration.
2) Set a sleep schedule: and stick to it. Sleep promotes sleep. Avoid exhaustion by maintaining regular sleep patterns where possible and make sure to listen to your body. If you struggle with routine, go to bed when you feel tired, especially if your body is telling you to get an early night.
3) Create a bedtime pamper routine: prepare for bed each night, giving your brain time to recognise that it’s bedtime and start to unwind. Ditch the tech an hour before bed and follow with a simple beauty routine including brushing your teeth, cleansing and applying your nourishing evening beauty products to promote bedtime relaxation. Extend this to using your facial roller for 5 minutes whilst lying in bed and you’ll be asleep before you know it.
4) Count sheep: bedtime meditation and breathing exercises aid relaxation and calm a wandering mind. If you struggle with effective meditation use an app to guide you. The “Smiling Mind” is a free app with a good choice of short 5-10 minute guided sessions and a 21-night program called “Starry Night”, dedicated to preparing for sleep https://www.smilingmind.com.au/smiling-mind-app.
5) Light a candle: turning off artificial lighting and enjoying candlelight will stimulate melatonin production and promote sleep. In addition, subtle aromatherapy will help you relax and in the right conditions might even facilitate tip #6.
6) The Big O: physical contact, intimacy and orgasm all release endorphins and hormones that relieve stress and promote relaxation. For single NATIVES, like all beauty pampering the emphasis is on self-love.
7) Keep a pen and paper by the bed: for those extra stressful times when your brain won’t stop or suddenly remembering a task for the morning plagues your mind and prevents sleep. Remove the worry, jot the idea, problem or task down on paper for the morning so you won’t forget, roll over and go to sleep……
8) Finally, give your beauty sleep a head start with an evening beauty regime packed with natural and organic goodness, dedicated to promoting hydration, restoration and rejuvenation.
Our sense of smell has the ability to affect our mood, emotions, feelings and sensuality. Fragrance has the power to drift you away from your presence into a world of your own. Explore the power of scent with MAHO Sensory.
Imagine starting your day feeling ready rather than defeated. To embrace the moment and long for seconds to linger. Focus on optimising your wellbeing and put energy into enjoyment rather than going through life’s motions. All it will take to get started is the introduction of 5 Daily Rituals.
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