6 Practical Ways to Get Your Beauty Sleep
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6 Practical Ways to Get Your Beauty Sleep

by guest writer Sheila Olson

March 3, 2019

Photo Credit: Pexels
Sleep, along with a healthy diet and proper exercise, is the most important habit you can have in life. Not only does quality rest yield a plethora of mental and emotional health benefits (e.g., sharper concentration, better memory, reduced stress, decreased depression symptoms, etc.), but it can also help you look and feel younger.

If you need more sleep in your life, here are six practical ways to get it.

Set Your Schedule

The best place to start when you're looking for better sleep is your sleep schedule. Pick a time to go to sleep and wake up each day, and stick to it the best you can. Consistent wake and sleep times will establish your internal clock, which helps you fall asleep and stay asleep longer

Allow Yourself to Wind Down

You also want a bedtime routine that makes it easy for you to fall asleep each night. Plan on giving yourself about an hour to wind down before bedtime. Do an activity that helps your mind and body calm down, such as reading, listening to soothing music, taking a warm bath, meditating, or drinking Chamomile. Also, avoid electronic devices (e.g., phone, tablet, TV, laptop) in your bedtime routine, as the blue light emitted from screens can hinder melatonin production, make it difficult to fall asleep, and disrupt your sleep well into the night.

Create a Sleep-Friendly Bedroom

It's essential to turn your bedroom into an environment that promotes good sleep. Getting rid of electronic devices is a good place to start, as these can be distracting. Another way to cut out distractions is to keep your doors and windows closed. Decluttering is also important because the place where you end and begin each day should have order, not mess.

It's worth considering your lighting. Make sure lamps and overhead lights have a soft and soothing glow, and look into adding a dimmer switch to control the ambience of the room. Furthermore, keeping your bedroom cooler can promote deeper rest through the night. And although it might sound strange, fresh air has been known to promote relaxation, so look into getting a good air purifier, especially if someone in your house smokes. The easier you breathe at night, the easier it will be to drift off to sleep.

Be Active

Regular exercise has countless benefits, and better sleep is one of them. When you work out, your body releases much of your energy for the day; so when night comes around, you're more likely to be tired. While working out early in the day is best, some people can only do it in the evenings. If that's the case, make sure to leave yourself time to calm down before bed.

Watch Your Intake

Just as working out too close to bedtime can hamper your sleep routine, so can eating and drinking certain things. For instance, eating late-night snacks that cause indigestion can wake you up in the middle of the night. Drinking caffeine in the late afternoon or evening can keep you awake. And while drinking alcohol can help you fall asleep, it can disrupt your sleep hours later.

Save the Water for the Morning

This tip is really simple, but it can have a significant impact: don't drink a lot of water before bed. If you do, you may have to get up multiple times to use the restroom in the middle of the night. Try not to drink water in the hour before you sleep, and chug water when you wake up.

Good sleep habits can leave you looking and feeling like a million bucks. Set a bedtime schedule and routine, and look for ways to turn your bedroom into a sleep haven. Try to get regular exercise, be careful what you eat and drink before bed, and wait until the morning to drink water. You'll notice a difference in how you look and feel in no time.

Photo Credit: Photo Credit: Pexels