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Beauty Sleep….Why is it important and how to get it.

Beauty Sleep….Why is it important and how to get it.

Put your IPhone on “do not disturb”, unplug your computer and completely eliminate all of the lights in your room because it is time for your unconscious side to take over and your body to become paralyzed. Don’t worry, this is a good thing, this is REM sleep. During the deep stages of REM sleep, the body repairs and regrows tissues, replaces older skin cells, builds bone and muscle, and strengthens the immune system.

So what happens when you don’t sleep?
I am sure most of you have experienced bags and dark circles under your eyes after pulling an all-nighter. This occurs primarily because your skin did not have enough time to repair during REM sleep and became dehydrated allowing for dark blood vessels and tissue beneath your skin to show through. Lack of sleep can also allow our stress hormones to be at a higher level causing weight gain or making it harder to lose weight and finally, lack of sleep can make the skin more sensitive and prone to acne.

Get into the RITUAL of beauty sleep:

Make sleep a part of your beauty ritual:

1.) Stop eating at least 2 hours before bed. During the day the pancreas helps you to digest your food but at night it turns into a stem cell machine making new cells and allowing for body repair. However if it is spending time digesting your last meal, it is not producing cells to heal your body.

2.) Try to go to bed and wake at the same time. Set a timer to go to sleep as opposed to an alarm to wake up. Your body has a natural sleep timer that will work for most of you once you get into the habit.

3.) Clean your face with a gentle cleanser and avoid products on the skin at night. Just go baby fresh to help your skin repair naturally.

4.) Disconnect. Our electronics can interfere with our sleep rhythmus so disconnect and unplug all electronics in your bedroom. Really unplug them not just turn them off!

5.) For those with insomnia: don’t stress instead turn the tables on yourself. Don’t be afraid of not being able to fall asleep. Instead try to catch your “sleep gate” the time when your body wants to fall asleep. If you find you are in bed for more than 45 min and can’t fall asleep get out of bed and mediate or do a yoga pose.  Do something relaxing because lying in bed stressing about NOT falling asleep will keep your from falling asleep. So grab a cup of lavender, sleepy time or other non-caffeinated tea, and a good book.  You can also get some magnesium and vitamin C and add it to your tea time. This will help you doze off.  Melatonin can be helpful to most by consult your doctor first because for some it can have the opposite effect.

For more tips visit drknights.com or contact me at 202-688-1897 Dr. Shaundel Knights

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