Momshells 5 Tips for Beauty Sleep
It’s no secret that we need proper sleep to look and feel our best.
Poor sleep can lead to an increased level of the stress hormone cortisol which can cause weight gain, inflammation and accelerated aging.
When your body produces more cortisol, this increases inflammatory cells which increases the breakdown of collagen and hyaluronic acid, naturally occurring molecules in the body that give the skin it’s glow!
Everyone’s individual sleep requirements will vary but most healthy adults need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night to function at their best.
During a full nights sleep our bodies produce growth hormone and melatonin which are vital for youthful and radiant skin. During the deepest part of sleep, also known as the REM cycle, the levels of cortisol decrease allowing for head to toe recovery.
If our sleep quality is continuously poor and we dont spend enough time in this most vital part of sleep for only a short period of time, we may suffer hair loss, dull, dry skin, dark circles around our eyes, poor focus and concentration and accelerated aging.
Some of you may be surprised that some of your daily habits are unknowingly detrimental to your sleep quality.
Here are Momshells top tips for better beauty sleep:
1- Skip The Snooze Button
It’s a common habit for many of us: hitting the snooze button when that alarm goes off early in the morning. The truth is, those extra minutes in the morning after the snooze button are the least good sleep you can get. While sleep is crucial to a healthy lifestyle, it’s only beneficial if you get deep, REM sleep. Startling yourself out of rest several times each morning hitting the snooze button can actually make you fuzzy headed as your brain and body become confused.
What should you do? Set your alarm clock for the time you have to get up and then actually get up when it goes off, every day at the same time. Eventually, this consistency will help with overall better sleep habits and improved health.
2- Avoid Alcohol Consumption Before Bed
Drinking alcohol before going to bed at night will force the body to metabolize it during the sleep, which can prevent the body from entering the best, most beneficial part of sleep, the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) cycle when the body recovers, resets and burns the most calories. Drinking one glass of wine with dinner is fine, but our recommendation is that you stop drinking alcohol within 3 hours before going to bed.
3- Get Leaner With Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone naturally occurring in our body that regulates our circadian rhythm, the internal clock of sleep and wake that our body runs on over a 24-hour period. Melatonin reaches peak blood serum levels in the middle of the night while we are in the deepest cycle of sleep, known as the REM cycle. Those with insomnia have difficulty achieving this state and therefore, melatonin supplementation is utilized by many individuals to help improve our sleep patterns. Since improper sleep can interfere with optimal health and overall fitness, it is said that melatonin supplementation helps to promote lower body fat levels. It appears melatonin may promote weight loss by increasing metabolism as adequate levels of this hormone provide protection for muscle tissue by reducing exercise induced oxidative stress. Melatonin has also been shown in recent research studies to have a positive impact on blood adiponectin levels- a hormone directly related to the body’s metabolic function. To supplement with this over the counter supplement, take 3 mg of Melatonin orally about 30 minutes before bedtime each night.
4- Turn Down The Heat When You Go To Bed For Better Sleep
People who sleep in a chilly room are onto something. It turns out there are a lot of health benefits to sleeping in a cool room at night. Reducing the temperature of your room at night to around 66 degrees Fahrenheit can help your body cool down in order to fall asleep faster and also reach a level of deeper, restorative sleep. As body temperature drops and growth hormone is released, the stress hormone cortisol will also decrease with healthy sleep patterns. Some studies have shown that a cooler room also helps the body to burn fat while you sleep. We all know that when the quality of our sleep is spot on, we have better energy levels, improved mood and mental focus.
5- Don’t Use Your Bedroom For Work
Try to use your bedroom for sleep and sexy time only. It’s so much harder to unwind, disconnect and enjoy a good night’s rest if you bring work or stress-related activities in bed with you like your phone or your laptop. Log off your work computer and don’t go to bed scrolling through social media. These habits can make it difficult to associate your bedroom with rest and what’s worse, the light stimulation from these devices can keep you awake and make it harder to fall asleep.
I hope you found the tips in this article helpful!
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xoxo
Momshells Founder and CEO,
Gillian Becker
