Here's how to make the most of your beauty sleep
I have never had an issue with sleeping. I can literally sleep anywhere, not to brag. A bus, a train, folded over on a staircase (don’t ask). But I didn’t realise until my thirties how important the quality of sleep is for your mind, body and beauty goals. Yes guys, beauty sleep is real. And if you aren’t getting good quality sleep it’s not going to hit the same when it comes to keeping your skin looking good and your nails and hair growing well. Fitful sleep does not equal fresh face. We all know that your body uses sleep to regenerate itself and your skin, hair and nails are all a part of the glow up that happens when you get your proper dose of light, REM and deep sleep.
“Lack of sleep raises cortisol,” says Dr. Sara Szal Gottfried author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Hormone Cure, and a Medical Advisor for OURA ring. “We all know it leads to more bags under the eyes and sometimes dark circles.”
Worryingly she adds that lack of quality sleep can also “cause paler skin, fine lines and wrinkles, droopy eyelids, as well as redness and swollen eyes from increased immune activity and inflammation.” Yikes. And if you can’t sleep due to stress, then you’re even more likely to see an impact in your skin. “Your skin is a window into your stress levels,” she says, “When the main hormone of stress, cortisol, is excessively high, it makes the skin glands secrete more sebum, leading to stress-related breakouts; increase blood flow to the skin, leading to redness; and break down elastin and collagen, leading to more sagging and loss of volume.”
After a particularly stressful, sleepless time (would not recommend a breakup and starting a new job the same week, FWIW) I’ve been on a mission to make my Q4 the cosiest yet, combining all my favourite sleep-inducing products. I track my sleep on my OURA ring (game changer) and have noticed the biggest difference to both my Latency score– how long it takes me to get into a good sleep– and my percentage of deep and REM sleep– the most reparative stages of sleep– when I have a considered routine. I bolster my bedtime practices with overnight treatments to amplify the effect of better sleep, et voila, a glowy, dewy complexion awaits…
Wind down well
Whether you have a bath or a shower, if you’ve had a particularly hectic day, take a sec to start your bed descent with a relaxing bathroom moment. It doesn’t have to be an hour-long bath, it can be a 20 min everything shower or soak. Ingredients like magnesium and lavender will come in clutch for putting you in a calmer head space before hitting the sack.
Best bed time rituals – go deeper with essential oils
I find essential oils really effective for putting me in a better mindset. Depending on the time of day, I like to inhale them with breathwork, rub on my pulse points or pre-shower I’ll massage onto my shoulders and back and let the scent fill my little bathroom.
“Generally people know there are essential oils to be calming or relaxing, however there are some which go deeper, working via the olfactory within the limbic region of the brain impacting the pineal and pituitary gland which in turn balance the hormones that aid you to sleep,” says Subtle Energies founder Farida Irani.
Bed time beauty accessories
Kitting yourself out for bed doesn’t stop at your PJs. My beauty sleep is as contingent on the accessories I wear to bed as much as my cocktail party 'fit is contingent on the jewellery I pair with it. It just doesn’t hit the same without them. I wear a head scarf to bed every night to keep my hair easy to maintain, I bless my eyes with a padded mask and I lay on a silk pillowcase every night too. It's giving Princess and the Pea and I don't even care.
Your nighttime beauty must-haves
While you don’t have to go 'Morning Shed' levels of beauty prep for your slumber, giving your skin, hair and nails a little helping hand during their regeneration process isn’t a bad idea…
Hair
Along with you head scarf or silk pillowcase, if you have long strands, caring for the ends with a serum will help prevent rubbing causing split ends. However, these are to prevent your already dead hair from splitting or breaking and had no effect on hair growth. To really care for your new growth overnight, you need to address your scalp with a serum or tonic, especially if you suffer from an itchy or irritated scalp.
Hand and Nails
I hate having my cuticles trimmed at the nail salon but for the longest time I neglected my at-home care so my tech would have to fix my raggedy nail beds every single appointment. To help him along, I’ve got a cuticle oil and hand cream next to my bed now and they’re the last thing I apply before I turn the lights out. I love the Necessaire The Hand Retinol to let that marinate overnight and address my crepey skin and nail beds as I catch forty winks.
Skin
We’ll just leave this right here- your perfect PM routine sorted.
Lashes and eyebrows
I’ve seen such huge results from using lash and brow serums consistently every night. I apply them straight after my skincare and before I brush my teeth to allow them to sink in ahead of face-planting my pillow.
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