Sleep as a Tool for Skincare and Maintaining a Healthy Body
While you are sleeping, your body is working to repair itself and regenerate any cells that may be damaged.
Day 8- Sleep as a tool for skincare and maintaining a healthy body
Today, I want to talk to all you beautiful Koru followers about the importance of sleep, especially when it comes to our skincare and well-being.
If you are anything like me, this world crisis has caused me to lose some sleep. I often find myself going to bed at an appropriate time, but then not falling asleep for a couple of hours because I am staying up worrying about the state of the world. I toss and I turn, and before I know it is midnight. And, since I am waking up at 5 AM to meditate and reading Miracle Morning, I am not exactly getting the scientifically recommended 7-9 quality hours of sleep. And to be exact, scientists have shown that getting fewer than 6 hours of sleep is likely to affect your appearance, and may be your key to finding the fountain of youth.
Get Your Beauty Sleep
While you are sleeping, your body is working to repair itself and regenerate any cells that may be damaged. When we disrupt our general sleep cycle, the effects show on our face. By not having enough time to regenerate new cells that may have been damaged by the sun or blemishes, you are more likely to notice fine lines and discoloration the next morning. Also, when you sleep less, there is a decrease in blood flow to the skin on your face, which then lessens your skin's natural glow. Other ways that you may see lack of sleep translate to could be: droopy eyelids, swollen eyes, dark undereye circles, pale and sallow skin, and hanging corners of your mouth. So, next time you say you need your "beauty sleep", you can use it as a scientifically based fact and not just an excuse to go to bed early.
Health Benefits of Sleep
Sleep is also much more important than just your outward appearance, but instrumental to keeping our mental health and body in balance. Issues with sleep habits have been linked to anxiety and depression, heart disease and cancer, weight gain, and memory issues. By getting the recommended hours of sleep, we can prevent major health issues and also keep our minds positive, clear, and active.
Step #9 Practice good sleeping habits
Here are some tips to help get better sleep:
Having a consistent bedtime and wake up time. We are naturally creatures of habit, and our bodies crave this consistency.
Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine close to your bedtime.
Exercise during the day. When we exercise at night it takes longer for our bodies to get into "rest mode".
Use your bedroom only for sleep, so our bodies associate the room with rest and not activities that keep us busy.
Meditate.
Last night, I used the progressive muscular relaxation technique from yesterday's post to calm my mind and body for bed. And, I slept so soundly afterwards. You can try this method, and see how it works for you too.
Combating poor sleep habits is not an easy feat in today's busy world, but with the right tools we can become more healthy and beautiful from the inside out.
Today's Challenge:
SET A CONSISTENT WAKE UP TIME AND BEDTIME.
If you are waking up at 5 AM, be sure to go to bed by 11 PM. And work towards going to bed at this same time every night for the next 30 days.
References:
https://www.webmd.com/beauty/features/beauty-sleep#1
https://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/skincare/sleep-skin-health
https://www.neurocorecenters.com/blog/10-facts-might-not-know-sleep-mental-health
And a great video to help with progressive muscular relaxation:
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