We often hear about the benefits of diet and exercise for beauty. But there is a third pillar that is often neglected: sleep. Scientists still don’t know why we need sleep as badly as we do, but sleep is what enables us to continue to function and not go completely bonkers.
When we sleep well our bodies have time to recuperate from the previous day and prepare for the next. And if our bodies are fresh, so too will be our appearance. However, in the modern world, many people really struggle to make the most of their time in the sack. So here a few pointers to help maximize your beauty sleep.
Turn Off Blue Lights At Night
I’m not one of those people that would tell you to turn off all tablets and smartphones as soon as it gets dark. But what I would say is avoid looking at screens that emit a lot of blue light at night. The problem with blue light is that it tricks your body into the thinking that it is the morning. As a result, the body releases morning hormones to perk you up, right at the moment when you want to fall asleep.
There is a solution, however. You can either buy blue-filter glasses and wear them in the evening to block out the blue light. Or if wearing glasses in bed isn’t you thing, you can get apps that reduce the amount of blue light put out by screens. Everything will look more orange, but if that’s the price of a good night’s sleep, who cares?
Get A Waterbed Mattress
Not having adequate support at night can really hinder sleep. Waterbed mattresses are better able to support your weight than traditional spring – based mattresses.
Modern waterbed mattresses are also now designed to be in keeping with the rest of your bedroom furniture. You can find a waterbed mattress here.
Eat Greens and Cherries
Greens and cherries contain a little hormone you may have heard of called melatonin. Melatonin levels in the body increase throughout the day and cause you to feel progressively more sleepy.
The problem is that as we get older, our bodies get less efficient at producing melatonin and we tend to find it harder to sleep. Not to worry, you can get melatonin from food. Lamb’s lettuce and cherries have particularly high levels of the stuff, as well a goji berries.
In one study, one group of older people were fed tart cherries and the other told to carry on with their normal diet. The group that ate the tart cherries managed to sleep a little longer and reported feeling more refreshed in the morning. The theory is that the melatonin in the cherries caused them to sleep longer than they would have otherwise.
Exercise During The Day
Those who are more physically active during the day tend to sleep better at night. Why? Well, the reasons aren’t fully known, but it seems to have something to do with our natural circadian rhythm. Our ancestors were busy throughout the day, and so being active should just be part of our daily cycle.
