Sound Asleep

Did you get your beauty sleep last night?

In order to answer yes, you would have to have slept for at least eight hours.  We have all felt the lackluster lows of sleep deprivation manifested by difficulty waking up in the morning, an inability to concentrate, falling asleep in class, or perhaps all of the above. 

When feeling the ill effects of sleep deprivation, the last thing we need is for the lack of sleep to be evident on our faces.  According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, sleep-deprived individuals appear less healthy, more tired and less attractive than those who have received a full night’s worth of sleep. 

“Sleep is the body’s natural beauty treatment,” says John Axelsson, researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. “It’s probably more effective than any other treatment you could buy.” 

If you do not receive sufficient sleep from time to time, keep the following tips in mind:

• Apply either an eye cream or any eye gel. Many eye creams and eye gels are effective at combating the appearance of dark circles.
• Use a skin brightening scrub in the morning, which will help give your skin the healthy and glowing appearance that a full 8 hours of sleep would otherwise provide.

Not only is sleep crucial to looking your best, but it is also imperative for many other health reasons. Lack of sleep has been linked to feelings of sadness and depression.

Additionally, without receiving adequate sleep, you are putting your body at risk by weakening your immune system. When you are feeling run-down, your body is prone to illness. According to tests conducted by a psychiatrist at San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Centre, lack of sleep showed a decline in natural killer-cell activity, increasing the risk of infection in the sleep-deprived individual. When the sleep-deprived individual acquired enough sleep, their immune system returned to normal. Translation: adequate sleep is vital to maintaining a strong immune system.

If you find yourself experiencing difficulty falling asleep at night, try the following tips:

• Keep your bedroom dark. The part the brain that controls sleep is close to the optic nerves, and is therefore sensitive to light. If you cannot prevent light from entering your window, invest in eyeshades.
• Do not have a strong alcoholic beverage prior to going to sleep. While alcohol can relax you enough to fall asleep, it will not provide a restful sleep. Too much alcohol will wreak havoc on your skin anyway.
• Be aware of your caffeine consumption. The obvious culprits are coffee, tea, and colas with caffeine.  Chocolate also contains caffeine and may keep you awake.
• Do not exercise right before going to bed.
• Do exercise regularly during the day, as exercise does tire you out, causing you to fall asleep quickly.

 So keep in mind just how important sleep really is in allowing your body to function at its best, and in the unfortunate event that you find yourself sleep-deprived, or struggling to fall asleep at night, keep the above tips in mind!

Editor: Gena Reist