Did you know that there are many beauty benefits of sleep? It’s true! You can sleep your way to a healthier, more regulated body and even achieve better skin that looks and feels younger. But, how is this possible? What’s the catch?
Well, you may have heard about the “internal clock” mechanism that seemingly governs our body’s natural processes. It’s the controlling force that ensures everything operates correctly, and according to the specific time of day. Our body’s internal clock plays a huge role in the amount and quality of sleep we get, and assures our natural processes operate on a 24-hour cycle called the Circadian Rhythm that responds to light and dark.
If your job requires you to work after the sun goes down, your Circadian Rhythm can get thrown off, causing you to experience sleeping issues including trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, and not sleeping deeply enough to gain the benefits of a good night’s rest. These issues can accumulate over time and eventually contribute to health and beauty limitations.
Luckily, there are things you can do before bed to promote restorative sleep so you can wake up looking great and feeling even better.
The Best Bedtime Routine for Sleep and Skin Health
Sleep and skin health go hand in hand. Your skin has often been considered an outward reflection of your inner health, and has a way of showing when you don’t get enough sleep. If you’ve ever woken up prematurely, then you’ve undoubtedly noticed that your eyes are puffy, you have dark circles, you’re a little paler than usual, and your skin looks dehydrated.
If you wake up this way over and over again, you risk wearing the evidence of a poor night’s sleep every day. This can lead to early wrinkles and fine lines, baggy skin around the eyes, and dark circles that are difficult to cover up.
Here are some tips for a healthy bedtime routine:
- Invest in blackout curtains
Your internal clock wants you to be awake during the day even when you’re exhausted after work. Eliminate sunlight in your home by hanging blackout curtains on all of your windows..
- Limit screen time after work
It might be tempting to lay in bed and put on a movie, scroll through your phone, or browse the internet. All of the blue light is tough on your eyes and can make it difficult for you to fall asleep. Try reading a book, meditating, or journaling if you are having a tough time falling asleep and need a way to clear your mind.
- Develop a nighttime skincare routine
Taking a shower or bath after a stressful night at work can feel amazing, but even better when it’s right before bed. Take this opportunity to wash the day off your body and calm your mind. Follow up with nourishing skin serums, an eye cream, and a rich moisturizer. Lock the products and moisture in with a skin oil and get your beauty rest.
These tips for developing a bedtime routine will help you experience a multitude of beauty sleep benefits, including fewer fine lines and wrinkles, smoother skin, and a brighter complexion. You’ll also sleep much better!
The Relationship Between Sleep and Aging
Sleep only gets more important as we get older. Our internal clocks actually change and evolve as we age. This can make it more difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout an entire night as we get older.
For this reason, it’s important to start making changes to your nighttime routine now so you can feel better and sleep your way to healthier, more youthful skin to avoid a variety of health issues down the road. While aging is an inevitable, irreversible process, there are tons of steps you can implement to help slow the effects of aging and live a better life.