Enjoy skin-saving age-defying sleep

If waking up is hard to do, follow our expert tips and advice for skin-saving, age-defying, feel-better sleep

 

There's nothing worse than long-term, poor quality sleep. Not only will you feel groggy, low in energy and prone to infections, you'll also look puffy and lacklustre. And worse still, sleep deprivation triggers inflammation in your body, which is thought to accelerate ageing. Then there's the strong evidence of links between poor sleep and obesity, an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and a higher incidence of certain cancers, including breast cancer.

 

But according to Tony Vargas, vice president of research & development at Elizabeth Arden, good sleep will help you feel better - and you'll look younger. "During the day, your skin harnesses its resources to fight environmental assaults, while at night it uses the body's natural sleep cycle to help repair and renew itself," he explains. "Researchers believe your body needs at least eight hours of sleep for optimum recovery. When this time is shortened, incomplete repair can lead to signs of prematurely aged skin, such as dryness, dullness, loss of firmness, fine lines and wrinkles."

 

"Going to sleep is not like flicking an on/off switch," says Dr Rubin Naiman, sleep and dream specialist and clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of Arizona's Center for Integrative Medicine. "It's more about letting go and having rituals to help that process and ensure good-quality rest."

 

So how can you get more sleep of better quality?

 

Let go of the day

 

A regular wind-down ritual 30 minutes before going to bed can really help you prepare for sleep. A warm bath by candlelight is not only de-stressing, it will also start to stimulate melatonin production - a hormone vital for regulating your sleep/wake pattern. Low light or darkness stimulates its production, while light switches it off.

 

Try adding a relaxing aromatherapy bath oil to the water, such as Neom Real Luxury Organic Bath Oil, £32, with lavender, sweet basil and jasmine, or simply add individual essential oils. After the bath, your body will cool to its optimal resting temperature.

 

Before you go to sleep, do a little DIY acupressure. Dr Andrew Weil for Origins Night Health Bedtime Balm , £19.57, with lavender, mandarin and chamomile oils, comes with instructions, including how to stimulate beneficial acupressure points on your hands and feet. Used together, these were shown in tests to cause 30 per cent less tossing and turning.

 

 

 

Get in the mood

 

Three small changes to your bedtime routine can help you get the rest you need.

 

1. Ban the buzzy stuff

Although it's obvious that tea and coffee will not assist shut-eye, what's interesting is how long the caffeine remains in your system. Experts advise on having your last caffeine intake eight hours before bed - and remember, alcohol also disturbs sleep patterns and dreams, as do some medications, such as anti-depressants, anti-histamines and certain decongestants.

 

2. Go dark

Dr Naiman suggests you sleep in total darkness and avoid having electronic equipment, with standby or flashing lights, in the bedroom. Even a little light exposure when you go to the bathroom in the middle of the night can cause melatonin levels to fall and so make it hard for you to get back to sleep.

 

3. Keep your cool

Your body needs to be cool for you to fall into the deeper sleep cycle and while it adjusts its temperature naturally, you can help yourself by turning down the thermostat. According to Dr Naiman, 68 degrees is
the highest temperature for a comfortable night-time bedroom - ideally it should be cooler. Visit sleepfoundation.org for more information on your optimum sleep environment.

 

Use youth-boosting night creams

 

Sleep is like natural Botox, as it relaxes and then paralyses your muscles, which is part of the reason that you look fresher, firmer and less lined in the morning. "Night-time sleep is also associated with increased rates of cell replication," says Dr Chris Idzikowski, director of the Edinburgh Sleep Centre. "This is the time for maintenance of the immune system - skin being the first line of defence."

 

Lieve DeClercq, Origins global spokesperson for plant physiology and molecular biology, adds: "Your skin dehydrates at night, as you release energy in the form of heat - and natural exfoliation slows too. During the day your skin is in defence mode against the inflammatory cascade caused by free radicals and, at night, it needs to repair the damage. Night creams may help soothe those metabolic stresses."

 

 

SHE's favourite night creams that work while you sleep!

 

Elizabeth Arden Intervene Stress Recovery Night Creme, £40, has a plant extract to help combat the ageing effects of stress.

 

Origins Youthtopia Age-Correcting Serum, £39.15, has stress-relieving rhodiola and rejuvenating amalaki complex to maximise your skin's natural repair and visibly address the signs of ageing.

 

RoC Retin-Ox Wrinkle Filler, £29.35, with retinol and hyaluronic acid plumps skin and works on deep wrinkles.

 

Good Skin All Firm Moisture Cream, £18, (Superdrug). A well-priced product with natural collagen boosters and antioxidants to help firm up skin, minimise lines and repair damage.

 

Simple Regeneration Age Resisting Night Renewal, £6.35, is a fantastic budget buy with green tea and a vitamin complex, plus oat beta-glucan to help reduce sensitivity.

 

Create perfect hair overnight

 

As with your skin, night-time provides a respite from daily hair aggressors, such as harsh weather and pollution. Make the most of this by applying an overnight hair treatment, as you would a night cream.

 

Kérastase Noctogenist is great for making hair bouncy, shiny and manageable again. There's a cream for thicker hair and a spray-on mist for fine hair, each £25. Neither needs to be rinsed out.

 

L'Oréal Elvive Re-Nutrition Night Serum, £7.49, is also good, and John Frieda Frizz-Ease Crème Serum, £15, is particularly effective for dry, frizzy hair, making it healthier and silkier by morning.

 

Sleep well (and how not to sleep)

 

Some experts believe that consistently sleeping on one side of the face can cause permanent lines, so vary your sleep positions; a silk pillowcase is also a good way to avoid this. And try sleeping with your head raised slightly to help prevent puffiness and soften the sagging and wrinkles caused by gravity.

 

Fake a good night's sleep

 

De-puff skin with a cold compress to get accumulated fluid moving. Just use a flannel soaked in cold water, with a few ice cubes thrown in.

 

[image4]Even out blotchy skin with a sheer layer of tinted moisturiser. We like No7 Dual Protection Tinted Moisturiser, £10.38, and Olay Complete Care Touch of Foundation, £9.78, which is a daily moisturiser with a little foundation in it.

 

Pluck your brows and comb through a brow gel, such as Benefit Speed Brow, £11.26. Good brow definition lifts eyes and makes you look awake.

 

Fatigue, especially when combined with dehydration,can make your lips look pale and less plump. A light pink gloss works as a pick-me-up for every age and colouring. We love Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect in 17, £16.

 

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