Fact: nothing makes me feel better than a good night's sleep. The benefits can also extend to the condition and look of your skin. After all, there's a reason why it's called "beauty sleep". There are also several things you can do for shut-eye time to ensure that you wake up looking your best.
Catching your zzzs is important for the regeneration of cells. Although this happens constantly during the day, your skin is less subjected to the stresses of light and pollution when you sleep. The muscles in your face are also more relaxed when you sleep. This is why my evening skincare routine is more souped up than my AM routine, as my skin is more capable of making the most of the products that I apply. As with exercise, sufficient sleep helps with reducing levels of stress hormones that potentially cause skin problems, including acne and eczema. It also contributes to a healthier immune system, thus allowing your body to naturally fight off any infections and to heal faster.
Of course, there are several aids to maximising the benefits of sleep for your skin. Firstly, the position you sleep in can influence the state of your skin. Sleeping on your back reduces the amount of creases you get on your face. Some recommend sleeping with silk covers to avoid this problem, but that's going a little far for me. It's also worth taking a half-hour before you go to bed to unwind and relax. This can make your sleep more restful, and truly make you feel replenished when you wake up.
But for those times when I have trouble falling asleep, I have my own little snooze-prep routine. I start by moisturising my body with some of my trusty Laura Mercier Ambre Vanillé Soufflé Body Crème. This stuff smells so warm and comforting, just like a nice fluffy duvet feels. I then spray some of This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray on my pillow and at the top of my duvet, and proceed to breathe in, and out. This blend of lavender, camomile and vetiver oils is seriously somniferous, and focusing on your breathing also helps you to relax. If I have a particularly hard time dozing off, I rub a bit of the This Works Sleep Balm onto my pulse points. This is essentially the balm version of the Pillow Spray, so you get a double whammy of those soothing essential oils. Finally, I grab my earphones and listen to a slightly hypnotic track called 'Sleep Deeply' from the DigiPill app (free from iTunes App Store and Google Play, £3.99 for 'Sleep Deeply' in-app purchase). This app offers a series of 'digital pills', different tracks that include psychoacoustics and neuro-linguistic programming in order to help you achieve a certain goal. The goal, in this instance, is to fall asleep. The track lasts just under 30 minutes, and I can safely say that it has never failed me.
Sleep well, everyone!
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