Sleep makes our skin look healthier and improves not only our moods, but also our cognitive function, helping us to handle the daily stressors life throws our way. We’ve put together 6 tips to prep your skin and body for a restorative sleep so you can bounce out of bed in the morning and take on whatever life throws at you (with healthy glowing skin too of course)!
Minimise your screen time
Turn off your phone and step away from your laptop! Instead of reaching for your phone to scroll through Facebook or Instagram before you lay your weary head down to rest, reach for a book instead. Because the backlit screens from our phones and tablets can interrupt the body's melanin production, a hormone which plays an essential role in helping you to sleep (so you don’t want to mess with it). Also reading a physical book or a story on an unlit eReader has been prescribed by general practitioners in Britain for those suffering from mild anxiety and depression. The act of laying in bed and reading, letting your stress melt away, can help prepare your body for the act of sleep without disrupting your melanin production. So, switch the screen for the book.
Take time to meditate and wind down
Does it feel like every night you crawl into bed tired and ready for sleep, yet this is the time when your brain wakes up? You start to analyze how your boss reacted to that presentation you spent hours on or stress over a bill that’s due. We know because it happens to us too! Practice sitting in silence for just 10 to 30 minutes before you’re ready to go to bed, it’s actually not that radical, you know. Put on a peaceful soundtrack, light a scented candle (lavender has been shown to ease insomnia) and breathe. You don’t have to force yourself to stay still for the full half hour, just aim to sit in your space, taking a deep breath in through your nose and then slowly releasing through your mouth. If your attention wanders don’t judge yourself for being a bad meditator, simply acknowledge this lapse and quietly bring attention back to your breath. This daily practice will help you quiet the mind and will set you up for a good night's sleep.
Sip on something warm
It’s not an urban legend that chamomile tea will lull you to sleep! This herb has been used to treat infections, skin rashes and digestive disorders, and it also helps reduce anxiety, lift moods and fights insomnia. The secret to “why” is because of chamomile contains an abundance of terpenoids a phytochemical (a type of active compound found in plants). Terpenoids bind to the benzodiazepine receptors in the brain (the type of receptor that are often stimulated by anti anxiety medication), which cause a relaxing and peaceful effect, in just one cup of tea! So turn on your kettle and boil a jug of water and indulge in a cup of chamomile tea or sleep infused hot chocolate to fuel your beauty sleep (mmm, can already picture my morning glow).
Yoga does a body good
We’re always touting the miracle of yoga, it can be both a powerful workout to wake your system up in the morning or a restorative meditation to help calm the body at the end of a long day (because, you wouldn’t believe how much our bodies cop it). Stave off health issues by taking 20 minutes for yourself to practice a few gentle poses before bed. Taking time to decompress after a stressful day is always at the top of our to-do list, so make it a priority on yours, too.
Tailor Oil Cleanse or Illume facial massage
A stressful day always shows on your face (as if we need to be worrying about that, right?). Massage away the built up tension and puffiness from a stressful day with help from our best seller, Tailor Oil Cleanse or Tailor Illume.
Simply start in the centre of your face and move your fingers outwards along the following areas:
- Along your eye brows and down to your temples to release tension along the brows.
- Under your eyes and out to the temples to help reduce under eye bags by removing built up fluid.
- Under your cheekbones and out to the jaw to release the tension in your jaw.
- Under your chin, along your jaw and out to just below the ears to help release tension and remove any fluid build up in the lymphatic system.
- Repeat these 5 motions several times then remove any excess oil with a warm damp Tailor Towel and follow with Tailor Restore (link).
Tailor Restore, Melatonin night balm
The secret to beauty sleep is Melatonin, which can be found as a hero ingredient in Tailor Restore, a luxurious nurturing night balm (mmm, I can feel the day disappear from my skin). Topically applying a layer of Restore will trick your skin into triggering antioxidant behavior that would otherwise kick in during sleep, for skin repair and regeneration to fight UV stress.
How to use:
- Apply to face and neck after cleansing and serums. Massage using circular motions.
Recommendations:
- Patch test Tailor Restore on the inside of your upper arm, as this area is most sensitive, so it will be a true test, especially if you have skin sensitivities or allergies. You can head to your local Farmers to use their tester.
- Read the directions of use before applying this product.
References:
Altshul, S. (2011). Lavender - the sweet smell of sleep. Retrieved fromhttp://www.prevention.com/mind-body/natural-remedies/how-lavender-can-help-you-sleep
Goto, T., Takahashi, N., Hirai, S., & Kawada, T. (2010). Various Terpenoids Derived from Herbal and Dietary Plants Function as PPAR Modulators and Regulate Carbohydrate and Lipid Metabolism. Retrieved from http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ppar/2010/483958/
Hoff, V. (2015). These meditation exercises will help you fall asleep in minutes. Retrieved fromhttp://www.elle.com/beauty/health-fitness/tips/a27325/meditation-exercises-for-instant-sleep/
McCoy, M. (2015). 6 reasons reading before bed may be the healthiest thing you do today. Retrieved from http://www.sheknows.com/health-and-wellness/articles/1090795/reading-before-bed-good-for-you
Sanders, K. (2013). Chamomile tea eliminates insomnia and depression. Retrieved fromhttp://www.naturalhealth365.com/chamomile.html/