Long hours in the office, late-night parties, binge movie sessions or just too much caffeine. If you have not had a good night’s sleep, it is likely to reflect on your health. While late nights might point to either a happening social life or a rewarding career, the effects on your skin and hair are somewhat less than flattering. Faye Remedios chalks out a complete lifestyle guide to help you wake up looking fabulous. Here’s how you can do your best to get adequate shut-eye and what can happen if you don’t sleep enough.
Watch out for panda eyes
Lack of sleep stresses out the body and causes it to release more cortisol, which leads to an accelerated breakdown of collagen in our tissues—and you need collagen to keep your skin firm and supple. “Apart from this, the skin looks drier, especially if you have had a late night with drinks and smoking. The shadows around the eyes look more pronounced and the skin looks dull,” cautions Dr Shuba Dharmana, founder, Le’Jeune Medspa.
Eight hours, explained
Sleeping for five hours or less a day is known to cause some serious damage, as well as accelerate the ageing process. Seven to eight hours of sleep is ideal. “While we sleep at night, our body produces hormones that are powerful antioxidants. These hormones help in detoxifying the skin and body. Sleep deprivation leads to stress and aggravates skin damage and break-outs,” says Shikhee Agrawal, skincare trainer.
The time starts…now
You should aim to be in bed by 10 pm. Have a light dinner, read a book rather than stare at a screen and, if you can manage it, go for a brisk 20-minute walk and take a shower before bedtime. This gets your blood pumping, and opens and cleanses your pores; so any product you use will be better absorbed. Dab lavender or tea rose oil on your pillow to sweeten the deal. You can’t be an early riser if you aren’t an early sleeper. Remember the age-old saying we learnt as kids? “Early to bed and early to rise makes us healthy, wealthy and wise.” It surely keeps us in good health and takes care of our beauty too.
Bedside essentials
What products you use at night also play a big part in your beauty upkeep. Using the right ones can greatly take off years from your face and keep the youthfulness on when complemented with a good night’s sleep. Before you crash at night, cleanse all makeup and moisturise thoroughly from head to toe. This way, you will not just have a better skincare routine.
Eating pretty
Dr Dharmana advises keeping your last meal as light as possible so there’s minimal metabolic activity as you rest all night. Eat a low-carbohydrate, gluten-free meal at night and you won’t wake up feeling heavy, bloated or with a sore stomach. Don’t skip meals and don’t go to bed hungry. A warm glass of milk with turmeric is, typically, what doctors recommend for insomniacs. A glass of warm water or chamomile or jasmine tea works just as well.
Hair help
It’s not just your skin that benefits from sleeping well. Your hair has much to gain too. And it turns out there is something in the ancient advice about brushing your hair 100 times before sleeping. Brushing the scalp stimulates the sebaceous gland, which in turn produces more sebum. When sebum and sweat combine on the scalp surface, they help to create the acid mantle, which is the skin’s own protective layer. Always use lukewarm or cold water to wash your hair, and don’t sleep with damp hair. Make sure hair accessories like bobby pins and clips are carefully taken out before sleeping. Make sure you don’t rub your scalp with a towel once you wash your hair, use a soft cotton cloth instead.
Commandments for better sleep
Here are some tips that will help you sleep better at night:
Eat light at night, and give your digestive system at least a couple of hours before bedtime to process the food.
A good workout any time of day will bump up your quality of sleep so ensure you get some exercise.
Avoid all caffeinated drinks after 4 pm so that your mind and body are not stimulated before sleep.
Binge drinking is a sleep-destroyer so avoid having alcohol before bed.
Set a deadline after which you completely switch off from work.
Avoid staring into your phone or tablet right before sleeping.
De-stress by meditating for 10 to 15 minutes before going to sleep. It helps to calm your thoughts so your mind is prepared to rest.
Drink a glass of warm milk or water before you sleep.
Listening to soothing music is also a great way to fall asleep. You can make a playlist that works for you and play it before bedtime.
Reading a book can also come in handy.
If you have trouble sleeping for days at stretch, see a doctor who could identify the root cause and help you figure out a solution.
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