How to Rejuvenate Your Skin and Health with Beauty Sleep
Back in college, you could stay out until 3 A.M., catch a few hours of sleep before your 8 A.M. lecture, and wake up with skin that still looked positively radiant.
But now, at the age of 35 or 45 or 50, your skin has more trouble bouncing back. There are plenty of culprits to blame for dull, aging skin. Everything from UV rays to pesticides to crappy skincare products are partially responsible for the tired, wrinkled skin staring back at you in the mirror.
As it turns out, your sleep schedule is probably to blame as well. Whether it’s your kids, your job, or your favorite Netflix series keeping you up late, your body reacts the same way: it suffers.
We all like to joke that sleep is a luxury we can’t afford, but it’s actually one of the most essential elements of vibrant, optimal health. If you can spend more quality time with your pillows, you’ll reap the benefits that inspired the term “beauty sleep”.
Sleep: The Luxury You Need to Afford
We all know what we’re supposed to do, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.
We know it’s best to eat whole foods and shop organic, but sometimes pizza delivery is so much more convenient. We know we’re supposed to limit our screen time, but those Facebook alerts sure are tempting. And of course, we know we need plenty of sleep to #slay each new morning, but there aren’t enough hours in the day!
The Dangers of Sleep Deprivation
It’s no accident that you feel ready to crash into bed by 11:00 every night. Your body follows a 24-hour circadian rhythm that controls your periods of activity and sleep. It’s designed to help you sleep at the right times so that your awake hours are alert and productive and your sleeping hours are restful and restorative.
That all sounds great, but many of us rebel against our circadian rhythm like a defiant teenager. We need more hours in the day, more time to finish the dishes or catch up on emails or put the kids back to bed for the 4th time. When we finally crawl into bed, we experience poor quality sleep that doesn’t do its job to restore our wellbeing. So when that (evil) alarm goes off at 6:30 A.M., we grab an extra large coffee and start the whole process again.
It’s easy to shrug off this dangerous cycle. Hey, that’s life! or, Things will calm down soon. But there are real dangers associated with sleep deprivation.
Beyond causing you to feel irritable and exhausted, night after night of poor quality sleep prevents you from living your best life. Your productivity, concentration, mood, and mindset all suffer. Even worse, pushing through months or years without sufficient sleep may cause the following health problems:
- Lack of impulse control
- Poor memory
- Increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity
- Weak immune system
- Reduced sex drive and stamina
- Anxiety and depression
Let’s also not forget that your sleep quality (or lack thereof) directly affects your skin.
Dark under-eye circles, fine lines, and puffy skin might as well be your own scarlet letter— you’re exhausted, sleep-deprived, and miserable, and your face is giving you away.
Fortunately, the solution to this problem is simple and legitimately enjoyable — sleep more!
How Does Sleep Improve Your Beauty?
Your body does more than snore while you sleep. Every minute that you’re asleep is another minute your body has to repair itself. Consider all of this essential activity that takes place while you snooze:
- Blood flow increases to deliver oxygen and nutrients to cells
- Skin rebuilds damaged collagen
- Tissues initiate growth and repair
- Hormones recalibrate to reduce stress and inflammation responses
- Energy is restored
This means that those eight hours of sleep are quite literally beauty sleep. When you skimp on quality sleep, your skin… and shows… the full impact of inflammation, collagen breakdown, and dehydration. On the other hand, when you give your body the rest it needs, your skin gets the restorative action it needs to restore its youthful glow.
Natural Ways to Improve Your Sleep Quality
Of all the changes you could make to lead a healthier, brighter life, improving your sleep quality is the easiest change to make. Try these simple, natural tips to reclaim the quality sleep you crave.
Get Moving and Stay Moving
There’s something to be said for the joy of a lazy Sunday spent lounging on the couch, but that should be the exception, not the rule.
Your body needs movement for so many reasons. Exercise fights weight gain, supports lean muscle mass, strengthens bones, improves cardiovascular health, and more. By incorporating more physical activity into your daily routine, you’ll help exhaust your body so that it’s primed for a deep, uninterrupted sleep at the end of each day.
This doesn’t mean you need to start training for a marathon, but you do need to find creative ways to move. Try out a Zumba class, take your kids to the tennis courts, take the stairs instead of the elevator… whatever works for you!
Carve Out Quiet Time Before Bed
Consider how parents put their young children to sleep. They create a soothing, quiet routine that gets repeated every single night. Bath time, story time, lights out.
This predictable and serene routine creates a neurological stimulus that prepares children to enter a deep sleep.
Babies aren’t the only ones who need this type of routine! Instead of taking last-minute phone calls or watching one final episode of your favorite Netflix series, you also need quiet time for yourself before bed.
When you overstimulate yourself at night, especially when that over stimulation is paired with very little physical activity, you give your body and brain a major uphill battle to achieve quality sleep. Break the cycle by creating a 30-minute window of minimal stimulation before you go to bed.
Turn off the TV, set down your phone, and do whatever can help you relax. You might put on soft music, read a few chapters of your favorite book, make a cup of tea, or take a shower. Try out different strategies until you find what works for you.
Inositol For Sleep
Inositol, sometimes called vitamin B8, is naturally present in the body, especially in the heart and brain. Since it influences the function of muscles, nerves, and neurotransmitters, inositol receives attention for its potential to improve sleep naturally.
Research indicates that inositol has therapeutic benefits for conditions like depression and panic attacks since it may boost serotonin in the brain. Adults who struggle to get quality sleep due to these issues may be able to supplement with inositol for better sleep.
Natural Sleep Supplements
If inositol for sleep doesn’t do the trick, other natural sleep supplements may help. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean you have to down a mouthful of horse pills before bed each night.
Every single bodily function, every beauty-attribute, relies on healing and regeneration.
Many natural sleep supplements are available and help you fall asleep, yet they do not support the important bodily functions that happen during sleep. Our formulation with velvet antler, vitamin B6, colostrum, macuna bean, and melatonin supports deep REM sleep, metabolism, tissue regeneration, and recovery.
Deer velvet covers the growing bones and cartilage that develops into deer antlers.
Deer velvet is used to boost strength and endurance, improve the way the immune system works, counter the effects of stress, and promote rapid recovery from illness. It is also used at the onset of winter to ward off infections.
This is not a pill; it is non-habit forming and all-natural. It is a tincture that you squirt under your tongue for rapid absorption and utilization.
Melatonin
Your body is supposed to produce melatonin naturally as an important signal for sleep. If you struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep, studies suggest that melatonin may be able to help. Melatonin is another key ingredient in our SLEEP. Naturally Supplement. Melatonin supplements are safe, natural, and easy to use.
Lavender
If you ask me, lavender has magical powers. This plant can do everything, from healing wounded skin and calming indigestion to improving sleep. Better yet, it’s extremely versatile and smells incredible.
If you want to explore the potential of lavender to improve your sleep, try diffusing lavender essential oil, spraying lavender on your pillowcase, or drinking lavender tea before bed. Research supports this method as one of the best natural sleep supplements.
Valerian Root
Valerian root is an effective but lesser known natural sleep supplement. This herb, which is native to Europe and Asia, is known to improve sleep quality without the nasty side effects of pharmaceutical sleep aids. It’s easy to find in tincture form; just place a few drops on your tongue before bed and reap the benefits of a good night’s sleep.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a nutrient that the body relies upon for its core functions. In fact, magnesium plays such an integral role in the body that every single human cell demands adequate magnesium to stay alive and thrive.
This means we experience many side effects without sufficient levels of magnesium in the body. Insomnia is one of the well-known effects of magnesium deficiency. A magnesium supplement can reverse insomnia and support deep, restorative sleep each night.
Magnesium activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the system responsible for supporting feelings of calm and relaxation. Taking a magnesium supplement about one hour before bed regulates important sleep hormones and calms nerve activity to support high-quality sleep.
The Most Essential Overnight Rejuvenating Beauty Products
If you’re serious about rejuvenating your skin to look youthful and energetic, you need to take full advantage of your sleeping hours. Think about it this way: your cheeks spend six to eight hours a night pressed against your pillowcase. The beauty products you apply to your skin before bed dramatically influence what happens over those six to eight hours.
The bottom line? You can boost and supercharge the restorative powers of sleep by nourishing your skin with these essential overnight rejuvenating beauty products.
Fire and Ice
Blood circulation is the cornerstone of every function in your body. When blood circulates properly, it delivers essential nutrients and oxygen to cells and tissues throughout your body. Once cells are fully nourished, blood flow removes cell waste to detox the skin.
Without strong circulation, your skin suffers from oxygen and nutrient deficiency while also accumulating harmful toxins and waste products. It’s a wicked double whammy that gives your skin a reverse makeover.
Worse yet, inefficient blood circulation stunts other critical processes like collagen and elastin production. Collagen and elastin are responsible for supporting strong, firm skin. The less your skin produces, the faster it sags and surrenders to the forces of gravity. That’s not what you want!
Fortunately, poor circulation is within your control to improve, especially when you have Fire and Ice as your secret weapon. We know that blood circulation increases at night while your body works to heal itself, and Fire and Ice is formulated to capitalize on that with a powerful home spa treatment. These two serums work back-to-back to boost blood flow and detoxification. Add them into your evening routine to prime your skin for incredible overnight revitalization.
The Fire serum includes argan oil, jojoba oil, cayenne pepper, palmarosa essential oil, peru balsam essential oil, and petitgrain essential oil. They work in harmony to trigger accelerated blood flow and circulation to the skin.
After you enjoy the buzz of warm skin and strong blood flow, the application of Ice will remind your cells and tissues to remove all the waste standing between your skin and flawless radiance. Its natural ingredients detox skin to create a cleaner, smoother complexion that looks years younger.
Choose one or two nights a week to skip your normal bedtime serum and moisturizer and replace them with a Fire and Ice treatment. Follow these steps to maximize overnight healing action:
- Clean your skin with your favorite natural cleanser, pat dry, and use your normal face toner
- Apply 1-2 drops of Fire to your forehead, cheeks, and chin
- Enjoy a pleasant hot sensation for the next 15 to 20 minutes as the cayenne pepper boosts circulation
- After 15 minutes, apply one drop of Ice to your cheek, one drop to your forehead, and one drop to your chin
- Never wash off Fire; just apply Ice on top to enjoy the interaction between the two formulas
- Gently massage Ice into your skin and enjoy the cooling effect
Now hop into bed and let the magic happen!
Beyond Moisturizer
Your skin craves hydration, so going to bed without the right moisturizer stunts your skin’s ability to heal overnight. It’s like heading out into a harsh winter storm with chapped lips and no chapstick. Yuck!
Give your skin the nourishment it needs to rejuvenate overnight with a moisturizer containing a blend of 14 powerful earthen oils. Beyond Face Moisturizer is specifically made to revitalize your skin in many ways as you sleep:
- Repairs damaged tissue
- Fades signs of scars
- Reduces fine lines and wrinkles
- Helps skin tone look even and balanced
- Makes signs of aging disappear
- Improves elasticity of skin
The secret to this moisturizer can be found in its Tamanu oil. Research shows that Tamanu oil has the power to heal skin beyond nearly all modern day skincare products. Its wound-healing activity helps the skin fight inflammation and absorb antioxidants in order to regenerate damaged skin and produce new skin tissue.
Emu oil also plays a huge role in Beyond Face Moisturizer thanks to its complete balance of Omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids. These fatty acids are essential to skin health and healing because they slow inflammation and regenerate healthy skin. In fact, the natural lipids found in Emu oil match those found in human skin, allowing for natural stimulation and rejuvenation.
Important Tips for Better Sleep Hygiene
As the sun sets tonight, consider using these simple tips to improve your sleep hygiene. That’s right, it’s not just dental hygiene that you need to maintain. Sleep hygiene includes the different practices and habits that help you enjoy quality sleep each night. Just like poor dental hygiene leads to cavities and decay, poor sleep hygiene leads to restless nights and daytime fatigue.
Don’t Nap During the Day
As delightful as naps can be, only infants and toddlers are supposed to enjoy long naps every day. As an adult, any nap longer than 20 or 30 minutes will compromise your ability to fall asleep at night. This hurts your already inadequate nighttime sleeping habits and continues the vicious cycle.
Avoid Stimulants Late in the Day
It might be tempting to grab a 3 P.M. coffee to get you through the end of a tough work day, but it will only hurt you later in the day. Alcohol also disrupts quality sleep. It’s best to stick to water and tea later in the day.
Block Disruptive Light
We are constantly bombarded by blue light and other disruptive wavelengths that cause eye fatigue, headaches, and poor sleep. If you watch TV, work on your computer, or scroll through your phone before bed, the artificial blue light emitted from your devices makes it harder for your brain to slow down and fall asleep.
You can actually block disruptive light with True Dark glasses. They’re like noise-canceling headphones for your eyes! With 24-hour blue light blocking technology, True Dark glasses help you work smarter during the day and sleep better at night.
With just a few simple changes and the use of nourishing beauty products, you can successfully rejuvenate your skin and your health with beauty sleep that earns its name!
Resource Links
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/sleep-deprivation-and-deficiency
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5003523/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181635/
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsos.160918
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/what-happens-when-you-sleep
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2478565/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9169302
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4273450/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16131287/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4394901/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4583440/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6117694/