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Dewy, radiant skin doesn’t just happen. Well, maybe, if you’re doing crazy strobing, but for the rest of us living life outside of Instagram, glowing skin is a process. One achieved through a healthy diet, active lifestyle, and lots of beauty sleep! Read on for how to create an optimal sleep environment to enhance your 7-8 hours of shut eye and wake up to a brighter complexion.
Before Andre Iguodala heads to bed (that’s Golden State Warrior’s basketball player and NBA Finals MVP, for those of you who don’t know), he “detoxes.” No, not green juice. He detoxes his sleep environment by eliminating electronics an hour before bed. He stretches, does breathing exercises, wears special pajamas and keeps his bedroom nice and cool. “You have to put yourself in the right state of mind. It’s almost like getting ready to go to work,” Iguodala says (Stanford News). The result, a 29 percent gain in points per minute and a 37 percent drop in turnovers per game when he sleeps an adequate amount of hours (Huffington Post). Did your eyes just glaze over? Sorry, non basketball fans, that just means he kicked butt on the court when he slept better!
Sleep is a powerful tool to heal and repair the body, prepping it for high performance. Your goal may not be winning an NBA finals championship, but getting adequate sleep can be just as powerful when it comes to boosting the health and radiance of your skin.
During the seven to eight hours of shuteye you should be getting, our bodies have a chance to heal and repair at the cellular level – collagen production increases (the stuff that makes your skin plump and youthful), inflammation reduces and the level of stress hormone, cortisol, nose dives. The result is a radiant, well rested you. For an optimal sleep environment and skin prepped for repair, follow these tips below.
Make your bedroom chilly, dark and electronic free
Keeping your bedroom at a cool 65 degrees Fahrenheit enhances sleep reports the National Sleep Foundation. A drop in core temperature triggers the body’s sleep button and can affect the quality of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Also, keeping noise and light to a minimum helps ease the body into a restful state of mind. That includes limiting electronics. Scientists have reported light from electronics has the potential to disrupt sleep, because it sends alerting signals to the brain.
The circadian rhythm, the body’s internal 24-hour “clock,” seems to be especially sensitive to light with short wavelengths which is given off by electronics like computers and cell phones, and has been shown to delay the release of melatonin (National Sleep Foundation). In other words, electronics could keep you feeling charged past bedtime so cut the cord an hour before.
Pop a pill before bedtime?
Melatonin plays a critical role in regulating our hormones and maintaining the body’s circadian rhythm. For those who have a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep, melatonin supplements are a great option. Studies have found that melatonin supplements reduce the time it takes to fall sleep, and increase the number of sleeping hours (University of Maryland), resulting in more beauty sleep all around.
Lock in moisture
And last, but not least, using products like overnight sleeping masks made to prevent moisture loss during the night can aid in cellular repair. For normal or combination skin types, opt for something light-weight like Amore Pacific Moisture Bound Sleeping Recovery Masque. For those with dry/mature skin, we suggest Algenist Splash Absolute Hydrationg Replenishing Sleeping Pack. The nourishing mask soaks into parched skin and leaves a smooth finish. If you’re dealing with acne prone skin, sleeping masks can benefit you too! The History of Whoo Honey Ginseng Sleeping Mask has antibacterial properties that fight breakouts, reduce inflammation and help hydrate problem skin.
-by Amy Chang
Photographed by author
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