Sleeping poorly can Take Away Beauty

Sleeping well not only improves your moods and helps you to have a great day, but it also helps keep you healthy and beautiful.  Unfortunately the majority of people sleep less than the recommended 8 hours a day, which does not provide healthy and restorative rest.

Most common mistakes and tips for sleeping well

Below we are going to list the most common mistakes, and secrets for sleeping well and looking great every day.

Watching television before going to bed

You might not feel very active when you’re laying down watching TV or surfing the web before going to bed, but the artificial light from the screen tricks your mind to thinking that it still isn’t time to go to sleep.  And just when you start to feel a little sleeping, any sort of bright light the flashes across the TV will wake you up and it will be difficult to fall asleep again.

Looking at the clock when you can’t go to sleep

Whenever you can’t sleep, looking at the clock to see how long until your alarm goes off only increases anxiety and stress, because you know you’re not going to sleep enough and you’ll be sleepy all day.  One recommendation is to keep the clock far enough away from the bed so you can’t see it, unless making a conscious decision to get up and walk over, just to see the time.

Talking on the phone

Although catching up with family members and friends is a normal part of your nightly routine, talking on the phone could be harmful for sleep quality.  One recent study showed that people that talk on the phone for long periods of time before going to bed, took longer to get to deep sleep, and spent shorter periods of time in this sleep cycle.

Is your room hot?

If you feel too hot in your room, it’s normal not to be able to go to sleep.  Any temperature greater than 22 degrees C will not send the message to your brain, to fall into a deep sleep.  Get a fan, open windows, and create a fresh environment before going to bed.

Lights

A simple blinking of a digital clock or any other device that emits a bright light, could be sufficient for disturbing melatonin levels (the hormone that helps people get to sleep).  Before 1879, when the light bulb was invented, people slept for a period of 10 hours at night, and they woke up earlier.  Does that convince you?

What position do you prefer to sleep in?

Dermatologists say its a crime to sleep on your side, because over the course of the years, the folds in your pillow will create lines on your face, by sleeping on it every day.  It’s best to sleep face up, to prevent any unnecessary wrinkles.

Clean face

Sleeping with a clean face produces freshness and rest, and it is also more hygienic.  Imagine putting your face on your pillow after being exposed to dirt, sun, sweat, makeup, etc., all day.  It’s best to remove makeup and wash your face before going to bed.  This will also help prevent the appearance of blackheads on your face.

Drinking coffee

Doctors recommend not drinking caffeinated beverages, like soda (even if they’re diet), coffee, or tea, at least 8 hours before going to bed.  Even though they may help you make it through the afternoon, it’s quite likely that a bit of caffeine will still remain in your body when you lay down to go to sleep, and you won’t fall asleep very easily.

Smoking

Are you a smoker?  One more reason to drop the habit is that people who smoke have worse quality sleep because they have greater mental activity while sleeping.  This means that even though you may sleep 8 hours, you don’t completely rest.  What should you do?  Stop smoking, or at least don’t smoke 4 hours before going to bed.

Alcohol

I’m not saying you should never go to a party, but if you want to rest, the theory that having a small glass before going to bed will help you fall asleep, isn’t very true.  It turns out that yes, a small glass of liquor can help you go to sleep a bit, and will put you to sleep immediately, but once the alcohol leaves your blood, it will put you in a state of alert that will prevent you from sleeping as deeply as you like.

Tight pajamas

Sleeping in tight clothing interrupts the heart beat, which reduces melatonin levels and increases body temperature.  This is exactly what shouldn’t happen when you’re sleeping.  This doesn’t mean you need to leave your sexy clothes behind, but try to sleep in things that are actually comfortable and that you don’t feel.  I promise you will sleep better.

How is your diet?

You shouldn’t skip any meals because it could make you fat.  Dinner should be light, and moderately proportioned so as to prevent nightmares and even indigestion.  It’s also important that you wait at least half an hour after eating to go to bed.

Physical exercise

Sometimes, out of a lack of time, we decide to exercise at night and then take a comforting bath before going to bed.  But this makes the body stay very active, and you won’t have the restful sleep that you should.  If you can’t change the time during which you exercise, try to exercise at least 3 to 4 hours before going to bed, so that your body has come down from the activity, and the fatigue from your workout will actually help you rest and wake up more beautiful each day.

Mental and physical activity

Watching horror or action movies, or listening to noisy music before going to bed will considerably affect your senses, and the only thing it will do is cause a series of inexplicable dreams that, at the same time, will prevent you from experiencing a relaxing and repairing night.  You’ll wake up as if you had been the protagonist in the horror movie.  Do not deprive yourself of what you like, you could listen to music and even watch movies before going to bed, but try to make sure they’re peaceful and not stressful.

So now you know, a clean bed, an appropriate environment, a light dinner, caffeine-free beverages, comfortable clothes, peace and 8 hours of sleep will give you a wonderful night, that will make you beautiful in the morning.

References

1. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, 2018. Sleep Disorders: In Depth
2. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, 2018. Sleep Disorders and Complementary Health Approaches
3. Medlineplus, 2018. Insomnio.
4. Zhou, E. S., Gardiner, P., & Bertisch, S. M. (2017). Integrative Medicine for Insomnia. The Medical Clinics of North America, 101(5), 865–879.
5. Oyetakin-White, P., Suggs, A., Koo, B., Matsui, M. S., Yarosh, D., Cooper, K. D., & Baron, E. D. (2015). Does poor sleep quality affect skin ageing? Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 40(1), 17–22.
6. Yoshizaki, T., Kimira, Y., Mano, H., Ota, M., Iwatsuki, K., Oishi, Y., & Yamane, T. (2017). Association between Skin Condition and Sleep Efficiency in Japanese Young Adults. Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, 63(1), 15–20.
7. Zee, P. C., & Turek, F. W. (2006, September). Sleep and health: Everywhere and in both directions. Archives of Internal Medicine. United States.
8. Luyster, F. S., Strollo, P. J. J., Zee, P. C., & Walsh, J. K. (2012). Sleep: a health imperative. Sleep, 35(6), 727–734.
9. Zee, P. C., & Turek, F. W. (2013, December). Respect the clock. Sleep Medicine Reviews. England.

Revised by: Dra. Loredana Lunadei on 07/31/2021

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