Take Your Beauty Sleep!

TAKE YOUR

BEAUTY SLEEP

Almost any mammal, every bird and insect has a need for sleep, or at least to times of reduced activity. For human sleep is absolutely essential. Some People think that sleep is nothing more than a resting phase. Sleep is far more. "Sleep is actually a complicated process in which muscles tense and relax, the pulse is faster or slower, the blood pressure falls and rises, and the spirit is continuously making movies," says the Toronto Star.
While you sleep your body is making changes which effect your immune system. Various body parts that were claimed during the day relax and rest, so the wear is counteracted. The basic cleaning, which is done by the blood circulation, works well, and the chemical balance is restored. You could compare your sleep with a team of workers that executes repair and cleaning work at night . Sleep provides the body new energy, especially regarding the brain and nervous system.

OVERNIGHT MAKEOVER

The hours while you're sleeping maybe be the best time to help your skin look its best. "When asleep, your metabolic rate is lower, so you're not producing as many skin-damaging free radicals. Plus, you're not exposed to environmental pollutants or UV light that can harm the skin," explains Mary Lupo, M.D., a New Orleans–based dermatologist. "Because your body doesn't have to work at skin protection overnight, it can instead focus on repairing the damage done throughout the day," she says. So any products you use will be that much more effective at hydrating, reducing fine lines and wrinkles, and brightening.

HOW MUCH SLEEP?

Most adults need seven to eight hours of sleep every night, some more, some less. Some people say they come out with four to five hours, but one or the other might take a daytime nap. Babies need much more sleep than adults.

EFFECTS OF TOO LITTLE SLEEP

"Someone who sleeps too little loses energy and is easily excitable. After two days without sleep, he can hardly concentrate for a long time. He makes a lot of errors, especially on repetitive tasks, and from time to time he can't concentrate anymore. Someone who haven't slept for more than three days, can hardly think, see or even hear. Some have occasionally hallucinations - "they see things that do not exist", its said the World Book Encyclopedia.

TIPS FOR A GOOD SLEEP

NO SNACKS

Try to avoid having any snacks before bed, particularly grains and sugars. Eating these will raise blood sugar and might inhibit sleep. Later, when blood sugar drops too low (hypoglycemia), you might wake up and not be able to fall back asleep.

DARKNESS

Sleep in complete darkness or as close as possible. If there is even the tiniest bit of light in the room it can disrupt your circadian rhythm and your pineal gland's production of melatonin and seratonin. There also should be as little light in the bathroom as possible if you get up in the middle of the night. Please whatever you do, keep the light off when you go to the bathroom at night. As soon as you turn on that light you will, for that night immediately cease all production of melatonin.

NO TV

No TV right before bed. Even better - get the TV out of the bedroom or even out of the house completely. It is too stimulating to the brain and it will take longer to fall asleep. It also is disruptive of the pineal gland for the same reason as above.

WEAR SOCKS

Wear socks to bed. Due to the fact that they have the poorest circulation, the feet often feel cold before the rest of the body. A study has shown that wearing socks reduces night wakings.

READ A BOOK

Read a pleasurable, slow-paced book. If you've read the book beforehand, it'll help you be able to put down the book and know what's going to happen next - thus, giving you more sleepy time. Try not to read anything over-stimulating, such as a mystery or suspense novel, as this may have the opposite effect. In addition, if you are really enjoying a suspenseful book, you could end up reading for hours, instead of going to sleep.

MAKE A JOURNAL

Write a journal before bedtime. If you often lay in bed with your mind racing, it might be helpful to keep a journal and write down your thoughts before bed. Journals help organize your thoughts and get them settled in so they won't be active.

EARLY BEDTIME

Get to bed as early as possible. Our bodies, particularly in the adrenalin glands, do a majority of their recharging or recovering during the hours of 11 PM. and 1 AM. In addition, your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you are awake, the toxins back up into the liver which then secondarily back up into your entire system and cause further disruption of your health. Prior to the widespread use of electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, as most animals do, and which nature intended for humans as well.

TEMPERATUR

Keep the temperature in the bedroom no higher than 70 degrees (21°C). Many people keep their homes and particularly the upstairs bedrooms too hot. This will keep you awake and sweating, instead of sleeping! Also, having a cold bedroom is not healthy either, as you will be shivering through the night - perhaps shivering unconsciously as well!

NO DRUGS

Reduce or avoid as many drugs as possible. Many medications, both prescription and over-the-counter may have effects on sleep.

AVOID CAFFEINE

Avoid caffeine before bedtime. A recent study showed that in some people, caffeine is not metabolized efficiently and therefore they can feel the effects long after consuming it. So an afternoon cup of coffee (or even tea) will keep some people from falling asleep. Also, some medications, particularly diet pills contain caffeine.

AVOID ALCOHOL

Avoid alcohol before bedtime. Although alcohol will make people drowsy, the effect is short lived and people will often wake up several hours later, unable to fall back asleep. Alcohol will also keep you from falling into the deeper stages of sleep, where the body does most of its healing.

STAY HEALTHY

Obtain a healthy lifestyle. Being overweight (and underweight) can increase the risk of sleep apnea, which will prevent a restful night's sleep.

NO FLUIDS

Don't drink any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed. This will reduce the likelihood of needing to get up and go to the bathroom or at least minimize the frequency.

RELAX

Take a hot bath, shower or sauna before bed. When your body temperature is raised in the late evening, it will fall at bedtime, facilitating sleep.

NO CLOCKS

Remove any clocks from view. It will only add to your worry when constantly staring at it. Plus, you will most likely become stressed when you find that you still cannot fall asleep by a certain time!

HORMONAL ISSUE

If you are menopausal or perimenopausal, get checked out by a good natural medicine physician. The hormonal changes at this time may cause problems if not properly addressed.

CONSISTENT BEDTIME

Don't change your bedtime. You should go to bed and wake up at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This will help your body to get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning.
Sleeping late - even during the weekends - is unhealthy for your body, as you will find that you will have a harder time falling asleep that night. Your body will have already gotten all its needed sleep earlier, and will refuse to go to sleep.

REGULAR EXERCISES

Make certain you are exercising regularly. Exercising for at least 30 minutes everyday can help you fall asleep. However, don't exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake. Studies show exercising in the morning is the best if you can do it.

BEDTIME ROUTINE

Establish a bedtime routine. This could include meditation, deep breathing, using aromatherapy or essential oils or indulging in a massage from your partner. The key is to find something that makes you feel relaxed, then repeat it each night to help you release the day's tensions.

EYE MASK

Wear an eye mask to block out light. As mentioned above, it is very important to sleep in as close to complete darkness as possible. That said, it's not always easy to block out every stream of light using curtains, blinds or drapes, particularly if you live in an urban area (or if your spouse has a different schedule than you do). In these cases, an eye mask can help to block out the remaining light.

NO WORK

Put your work away at least one hour (but preferably two or more) before bed. This will give your mind a chance to unwind so you can go to sleep feeling calm, not hyped up or anxious about tomorrow's deadlines.
Try to complete your work before bedtime, using your time wisely. Avoid staying up late to finish any work and - if you study - refrain from cramming. Having a reliable schedule and using your time wisely will help improve your sleep and ensure that you finish your work.