Beauty Secrets is a weekly series that gives an inside look at expert-approved beauty tips and techniques to help you look and feel your best. Tune in every Friday for anything from special how-to guides, to product recommendations.
When it comes to putting our best foot forward, often our favorite makeup and hair products come to mind. But, beauty rest is also a big key to both looking and feeling rejuvenated. Beyond reducing breakouts and under-eye puffiness, according to the Sleep Foundation, good quality sleep can also promote cell regeneration, boost the immune system, and improve metabolism.
Whether you’re taking a power nap or in deep slumber overnight, these benefits are accredited to the restorative processes which occur after you fall asleep. Sleep occurs in four cyclical stages: from light sleep, such as naps, to REM sleep, when you dream. REM sleep is the most restorative form of sleep, which adults should have about two hours of per night.
So whether you’re trying to look or feel alert, or a little bit of both, below, we share 5 tips to help you improve your sleep quality.
Understand sleep hygiene
Good sleep hygiene can include sticking to a sleep schedule, a bedtime routine, and bathing before bed. For example, you may start your night with a long, heated bath as you unwind your mind with meditations on the Headspace app. You may opt for a noise turning on a noise machine, massaging your body, or eating a good meal. The key is to create habits that promote uninterrupted sleep. It’s an invitation for your body to wind down after the day ends.
Develop a nightly skin care routine
Develop a nighttime skin care routine as part of your nightly ritual. It will not only help you wake up to well-rested, healthy skin but also calm your mind before heading to bed. For example, after you cleanse and tone, apply a retinol serum. Retinol, a skin care ingredient with anti-aging benefits, is best applied at night for the highest impact.
Drink water at the right time
It is not uncommon to feel thirsty before bed. In fact, a study shows the tendency to drink more water in the evening may be a natural part of the sleep-wake cycle.
You may think water intake right before bed will help avoid dehydration, however, excess water intake may cause nighttime bathroom breaks which interfere with sleep. As a result, shorter sleep cycles can lead to more dehydration and less beauty sleep.
According to the Sleep Foundation, although recommendations vary, adults should drink between 2.5 and 4.5 liters of water a day (depending on their body weight and level of activity.) The ideal is to remain hydrated throughout the day so you do not need to drink excessive amounts of water at bedtime.
Sleep on your back
Sleep like a baby— on your back. Sleeping face-up is the ideal sleep position to help prevent wrinkles and acne caused by pillow friction. In addition, you do not want the pillow case to absorb your nightly skincare routine or, in return, your face to absorb the hair oil on your pillow. Avoid as much face to pillow contact as possible or just replace your cotton for a silk pillowcase to improve skin smoothness, radiance, and hydration. In addition to its beauty benefits, sleeping on your back also keeps your spine aligned, drains the sinuses, and reduces headaches and chest compression
Avoid salty foods
If you want to eat before bed or you wake up during the night for a midnight snack, try to avoid salty foods late at night. Foods high in salt can cause you to retain fluid and increase your blood pressure, and, as a result, you may wake up to puffier skin. Instead, try tart cherries, a fruit rich in melatonin, which is proven to promote better and longer (beauty) sleep.