Sleeping is essential for the health of the whole body. A good night's sleep also allows you to look your best, as we all are much more attractive when we feel rested. Try making small changes to your routine to improve the quality of your sleep. Some tricks will allow you to reap numerous benefits also in terms of physical attractiveness.
Steps
Part 1 of 5: Getting the Aesthetic Benefits of Sleep
Step 1. Try to get eight hours of sleep a night
Being able to sleep 7-8 hours a night will allow you to reap extensive benefits in terms of beauty without making any effort! Quality sleep helps prevent wrinkles and inflammation, stimulates muscle growth and inhibits fat production.
Step 2. Wash your face
Before going to sleep, leave the day just behind you by washing your face thoroughly. Residues of dirt, make-up and impurities can clog pores and cause unsightly skin rashes.
Step 3. Choose the right pillowcase
Sleeping on a silk or satin pillowcase helps prevent wrinkles and won't damage your hair.
- It is also advisable to change the pillowcase frequently, as sebum and impurities could accumulate on the fabric and clog the pores.
- If you want to maximize wrinkle prevention, try sleeping on your back, without putting your face in contact with the pillow.
Step 4. Moisturize the skin
While you sleep, your skin renews itself, so support it by hydrating it thoroughly before going to sleep. To nourish her even more deeply, try using a mask instead of common creams.
Part 2 of 5: Changing Your Lifestyle
Step 1. Avoid caffeine
Even a single cup of coffee or tea drunk during the afternoon hours can prevent you from falling asleep. Try to avoid caffeinated drinks after lunch time.
- Be careful, caffeine tends to hide in the most unlikely elements. For example, some drugs, especially diet pills, contain caffeine.
- Try not to exceed 400 mg of caffeine per day, regardless of the time of day. This amount is equivalent to about four cups of coffee.
Step 2. Avoid alcohol
Although it can appear to induce sleepiness, the numbness of alcohol is only a short-term effect, which over the hours can turn into a forced awakening and an inability to fall asleep again. As if that weren't enough, you won't be able to reach the deepest stages of sleep.
Step 3. Lose weight
Being overweight can increase your risk of sleep apnea, which can prevent you from getting proper rest.
Step 4. Avoid foods you may be intolerant to
In particular, you may have a sensitivity to dairy and wheat products, so you may find it difficult to sleep due to ailments such as congestion, gastrointestinal upset, bloating or flatulence.
Step 5. Exercise regularly
Exercising for at least 30 minutes a day can help you fall asleep more easily when it's time to sleep.
- If you can't exercise for 30 consecutive minutes, try exercising for 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes in the afternoon, and 10 minutes in the evening.
- For some people, exercising during the last hours of the evening may mean not being able to fall asleep. If you are one of those who cannot sleep immediately after exercising, try to plan a few hours of relaxation between training and sleep.
Step 6. Relieve stress
For multiple reasons, stress can be highly damaging to your health and prevent you from enjoying a long night's sleep. If you often can't fall asleep due to daily worries, decide today to start doing something to reduce stress.
- Think positively and learn to laugh when you are feeling stressed.
- Meditation, exercise and deep breathing techniques are excellent allies for anyone looking to relieve stress. Experiment and find out what works best for you.
- Try to organize yourself as best as possible and roughly plan the next day a little in advance of the time of sleep, this way you will not have to think about it once you lie down in bed.
Step 7. Expose yourself to sunlight
The more you expose yourself to natural light during the day, the more you are able to respect the circadian rhythms of your body. As a result, it will be easier for you to fall asleep at the right time.
If you can't spend some time outside, try to stay as close to a window as possible
Step 8. If possible, avoid naps
If you struggle to sleep at night, taking naps during the day will only aggravate the situation, so your best bet is to stay awake until it's time to go to bed.
If you really can't help but take a nap, try to rest early in the day
Part 3 of 5: Stick to a Sleep Routine
Step 1. Do not change the time you wake up and go to sleep
You should fall asleep and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. Doing so will allow your body to develop a healthy sleep pattern, so you will have less difficulty falling asleep in the evening and waking up in the morning.
Sleeping late, even if only on weekends, is not at all healthy for the body, and in the evening you will have a hard time falling asleep. Having already recovered and rested for a long time, your body will refuse to sleep any more
Step 2. Eat healthily
If you want to ensure better quality sleep, try having a carbohydrate snack just before bedtime. Warm milk, herbal teas, and tryptophan-rich foods, such as tuna and yogurt, are equally good choices.
Don't binge, or else you will be forced to stay awake due to indigestion
Step 3. Pay attention to your fluids
An hour before bedtime, stop drinking, this will reduce the chances of waking up from having to go to the bathroom, or at least reduce how often you have to get up.
Go to the bathroom just before bed to increase your chances of being able to sleep undisturbed
Step 4. Don't watch TV before falling asleep
TV shows over-stimulate the brain, and exposure to light can prevent you from falling asleep.
- Avoid any other type of bright screen, such as that of computers, smartphones and tablets.
- If you really want to watch television before bed, don't do it while you are in bed. Your room should be devoted solely to rest and sleep.
Step 5. Put your work aside
Try to stop working at least an hour before bed (even a couple of hours before or more). Your mind will then have a chance to calm down, allowing you to fall asleep in a quiet state, rather than excited or anxious about upcoming deadlines.
Don't stay up late to study or work. Plan your day better to have time to dedicate yourself to all your commitments during the day
Step 6. Engage in a relaxing activity
Instead of working or watching television, do something that allows you to relax and unwind after a long busy day. The goal is to find an activity that will help you calm down and then dedicate yourself to it every evening to be able to free yourself from everyday tensions.
- Read a relaxing and enjoyable book. Avoid suspenseful storylines, otherwise you may be tempted to keep reading for hours instead of going to sleep. To avoid interfering with your sleep routine, choose a print book or e-book reader with no backlight.
- Practice a relaxing hobby, such as embroidery or painting.
- Meditate, do some breathing exercises, or do some light stretching to stretch your muscles.
Step 7. Take a warm bath, shower or sauna
Raising the temperature of the body during the last hours of the evening means causing it to drop when it is time to go to sleep, thus promoting sleep.
Part 4 of 5: Creating an Environment That Promotes Sleep
Step 1. Reserve the bed for sleep and intimate relationships
Working or watching TV between the sheets can interfere with your ability to relax and think of the bed as a place of well-being in which to sleep and refresh. Ideally your entire bedroom should be intended solely for sleep and no other activity.
- If you have no other choice and need to spend your time in the bedroom, consider purchasing a small sofa or chair to indulge in activities other than sleeping, such as working or watching television.
- Make sure you go to sleep in your bed. If you fall asleep on the sofa you will not be able to guarantee a quality sleep.
Step 2. Darken any light sources
Even the faintest light could disrupt both your circadian rhythms and the pineal gland's production of melatonin and serotonin.
- If you can't block out every light source or your partner has a different schedule than yours, try wearing a mask to cover your eyes.
- If you have to get up to go to the bathroom, don't turn on the light.
Step 3. Silence the noises
Turn off the television and, if you intend to listen to music, choose songs that are purely instrumental. Also do what you can to silence the noises coming from outside.
For some people, listening to white noises or the sounds of nature, such as those of the ocean or a forest, can promote sleep. If you think it can help you sleep, turn on a fan or purchase a white noise player
Step 4. Set a comfortable temperature
When you are not too hot or too cold, you tend to sleep better. For most people, the ideal bedroom temperature is between 18 and 21 ° C. Personal preferences are important here, so make sure you feel comfortable.
Because they often suffer from poor circulation, feet tend to cool down sooner than other parts of the body. Going to sleep wearing socks can help you maintain a feeling of well-being and warmth
Step 5. Choose the right alarm
The ringer volume should be loud enough to wake you up, but not loud enough to make you jump while you sleep. Try using a more pleasant melody or consider buying an alarm clock that prompts you to get up with a gradual increase in light.
- By ensuring the right hours of sleep for your body, you will find that you no longer need to use the alarm clock to get up on time.
- Using your smartphone as an alarm clock is not a good idea as it may disturb you with messages and emails.
- Try not to use an alarm clock that glows blue as it may disturb your sleep.
- If you wake up during the night, try not to look at the clock. If you usually look at your alarm clock frequently, move it away from your bed, cover it, or choose one with a night mode.
Step 6. Get comfortable
Make sure your mattress and pillow give you the comfort and support you deserve. If you've been using the same mattress and pillow for many years, maybe it's time to buy new and better ones.
Part 5 of 5: Managing Insomnia
Step 1. Keep a journal
If you find yourself tossing and turning awake in the sheets often, you may find it helpful to write down your thoughts in a journal before bed. Writing will help you organize your ideas and calm your mind.
Writing your thoughts may also help you understand which activities or events are conducive to a good night's sleep, thus encouraging you to make the necessary changes
Step 2. Use tricks to help calm your mind
If you find it hard to fall asleep because your mind tends to wander elsewhere, try focusing on a single boring task, like counting down from 100. This exercise will help you relax and fall asleep faster.
Step 3. Get up
If you happen to wake up and can't fall asleep again, try getting out of bed, getting out of the room and doing something relaxing, like reading. It should help you feel sleepy again.
- Use a soft light so as not to disturb your circadian rhythms.
- Stay away from smartphones, televisions and other electronic devices.
Step 4. Consult your doctor
If you often have trouble falling asleep or suffer from insomnia, describe your symptoms to your doctor so they can help you evaluate the causes.
If you are in menopause or perimenopause, ask your doctor if insomnia may be due to hormones
Step 5. Describe the medicines you are taking
Many medications, even over the counter, can negatively interfere with sleep. If you are experiencing side effects, your doctor may prescribe a different medicine or reduce your current dosage.
Never stop taking a drug without talking to your doctor first
Advice
- Start by making small changes to your routine. Turning off the TV 30 minutes before going to sleep is better than nothing!
- Stick to the new routine, over time what are now unusual behaviors will become instinctive and established habits.
- If you notice that anything else is disturbing your sleep, take action to end it. For example, if your dog tends to jump on his bed in the middle of the night, teach him to sleep elsewhere.
