Beauty Bit, Beauty Sleep

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

We women spend so much time trying to figure out what the next best thing is to help keep our skin youthful and supple. Yes, I have fallen into that trap many times. From one moisturizer to the next, night creams, serums, bb creams, primers, and the list goes on! It has taken me years to perfect my skin care routine, and yet it's still constantly changing. The human body is a fickle thing but the most essential and easiest way to gain that fresh and beautiful appearance is by sleeping!

The concept of beauty sleep is factual. Have you ever noticed that when you don't get enough sleep you feel tired and not quite enthusiastic as you usually are? It's not just that, lack of sleep also causes your skin to lose it's luster, dark circles and sags skin. The worst is when someone tells you that you look tired, even if it's true, it is never a welcomed comment. I notice that when I  skimp on the z's, an annoying blemish tends to appear. This is enough to push me towards a regular sleep schedule! Sleep is a necessary function to repair, restore and rebalance our body. Skin cells grow and replace old ones. Unfortunately, lately i've been caught in the hustle and bustle of life. I'm constantly saying to myself, "there is never enough time in the day, there's always more to do." Sleep is usually the last thing on my mind when i'm caught in a whirlwind of projects! 

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of being tired. I have been working on enhancing my sleeping habits because a good night's sleep is the best beauty and body elixir. Here are a few of my tactics for my newly refined habits...

1) Sleeping in a certain position. It's strange, but it works. I tend to fall asleep faster when I'm sleeping flat on my back compared to anything else. 

2) Set regular sleeping times. Go to bed at the same time everyday, or at least similar times. Getting into a rhythm helps. 

3) Visualize. Think about how well rested you want to be the next day and that should put a jump start to your mind to help it realize what needs to come next!

4) Silk pillowcases. Ever since I've replaced my regular cotton pillowcases with silk ones, I've slept better. Another great thing about silk pillowcases is that it does not strip your skin or hair of it's oils like cotton would. 

5) Sleep on an empty stomach. Food is energy, I try not to eat anything three hours before I go to bed or else my body is still running on fuel. 

Sleep is a source of energy, one that we too often neglect. Stop trying to figure out what beauty product is going to help you and get more sleep! Experts say that a good range of z's between seven to nine hours should do the trick. My usual six is not cutting it! "Sleeping is believing!" I hope that my strategy helps you with your beauty sleep. Dear readers, how would you define your beauty sleep?