What if there was one thing, available to all of us, that helps makeup go on smoothly, our skin to glow, and most importantly, gives us self-confidence?
There is.
It is a secret trick that helps all beauty products properly do their job. It’s the “holy grail” of health. Expensive brands can’t recreate it and it is actually completely FREE to us consumers. This trick shouldn’t be a secret, but sadly, it has become almost looked down upon in our fast pace, ever productive society.
What is it, you ask, that activates our beauty?
SLEEP.
Yes, you read that right. Sleep. I bet this comes as no shock to you. When we’ve gotten a good night’s sleep, we wake up like we’re in the Disney movie Enchanted. The birds are singing, our self-confidence skyrockets, and we are magically more kind and productive.
So why is that our society doesn’t prioritize sleep? I remember in college when sleep became uncool and being “busy” became sooo cool. I would hear friends bragging, “I’m so busy with this party and this extracurricular club and all this homework...” and their identity fell into the hands of productivity and I somehow felt behind.
I actually never pulled an all-nighter in college (except when traveling to Europe). I respected sleep too much. At an early age my mom put the fear of God in me about sleep (she didn’t want to deal with a crabby kid), and now in my adult life I place a high priority on sleep (I don’t want to have to deal with my crabby self). But sadly, the peer pressure on us is to stay up late, wake up early, hit the grind, make it happen, and in this “recipe for success,” we forget to take care of ourselves and our skin suffers the consequences.
We could take advice on this from Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon. He says, in a Thrive Global News article, that “Eight hours of sleep makes a big difference...when you’re talking about decisions and interactions, quality is usually more important than quantity.” Jeff Bezos is the richest man in the world, so clearly sleep is helping him.
To piggyback on his statement, “quality is usually more important than quantity,” I think the same is true about skincare. It’s not about the quantity of beauty products, such as how many layers of serums, moisturizers and makeup we put on, but about the quality and health of our skin, and that begins with sleep.
When I haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep, I could drink celery juice and lemon water, put on vitamin C serum, exfoliate and moisturize my face, cake on contour makeup and top it all off with red lips, but it just isn’t the same. I’m missing that glow. In addition to my skin suffering, I’m dragging mentally. I’m not as sharp and have a more negative attitude towards life. Sleep helps my overall self-confidence. Self-confidence gives a glow.
Recently, I heard a woman advise that if you’re upset and about to cut off a relationship or make a huge decision, first try and get a good night’s sleep and decide in the morning. Oftentimes, productive sleep cures the previous day’s troubles and helps us think clearer and make the right decisions.
Sleep is this magical formula that fights wrinkles, diminishes unwanted bags creeping underneath the eyes, and brings an overall radiance to the skin. Sleep is a natural moisturizer and blush because while we are dreaming, blood is able to circulate to our skin and replenish it.
The Honest Company writes on their blog that “Sleeping is a way for your body to rejuvenate itself and get the blood flowing to your face.”
But what if a good night’s sleep feels like a phantom, always disappearing into the night, something we can never fully grasp? Though some cases might require a doctor’s advice, here are four tricks I have learned that help me to get a good night’s sleep.
1. CONSISTENCY
We humans are creatures of habit, so what we do consistently is what our body will crave. If you go to bed at 11 PM during the weeknights and then 3 or 4 AM on the weekend, it will throw off your body’s circadian rhythm and come Sunday night, it will be harder to fall asleep at a good hour. This can affect our entire next work week. Of course, a late night here and there is no big deal and should be part of enjoying life, but as much as you can, try to go to bed at the same time every night and wake up the same time every morning. This will help your body to sleep consistently overtime and help give your skin the replenishment it needs.
The Honest Company confirms the need of consistency on their blog. They tell us to “Start following a regular sleep schedule and see how your skin starts to change for the better.”
2. A NIGHTTIME “RITUAL”
Instead of writing “a nighttime routine,” I purposely wrote “ritual.” A routine sounds like something we have to do, but a ritual sparks a creative endeavor we get to do. The key is finding out a ritual that works for you and relaxes you for sleep. My night time ritual includes stretching for five minutes, a cup of warm decaf green tea (my seasonal favorite is Candy Cane Green Tea), a candle, turning off my phone, and reading. All of these steps signal to my body that it’s almost time to fall asleep. Some nights I completely ignore my ritual and watch Netflix instead, and that’s okay too every now and then!
3. A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
Food is meant to energize us, so if we eat close to our bedtime, we’re actually energizing ourselves for sleep. That sounds, and is redundant. If you’re able, stop eating at least three hours before you go to bed. This gives your body time to digest your food and you’ll actually wake up more energized. What we eat also affects how we sleep. If your day was filled with caffeine and processed foods, your sleep will not be as deep and you’ll probably find yourself waking up during the night. (I’m still working on not having a lot of caffeine). Stick to real food: fruits and vegetables, healthy proteins and high fats can help improve sleep.
Physical activity also aids in our sleep quality. Not only does it simply tire us out (we’ve all seen a dog nap for hours after playing catch), but according to Sleep.org, “Physical activity improves sleep quality and increases sleep duration.” I’ve noticed in my own life that when I’ve been more active, my sleep is more productive and I wake up feeling more refreshed.
4. DON’T SWEAT IT
If you get a bad night sleep, don’t worry about it! Everyone is in a different season and I know parents especially don’t have the luxury of sleep in the same way others do.
The good news is, there’s a fresh opportunity to sleep every night and tonight you’ll get another chance. I hope by reading this, you begin to treat sleep like a new lover and give it priority above your to-do list. You’ll be amazed at the beauty results, and overall life results that follow.
SOURCES:
https://www.honest.com/blog/beauty/skin/what-are-the-benefits-of-sleep-for-skin/20200115-1.html
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/jeff-bezos-says-prioritizing-this-one-habit-is-key-to-his-success/
About the Creator
Natalie Spack
I always have a notebook around so I can write down my thoughts! Anything from scripts, short stories, novels, songs, to poems! I also love comedy and make my own funny sketches on youtube (www.youtube.com/nataliespack)
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