The last thing you ever want to hear first thing in the morning is “Are you alright? You look awful.” So to prevent this from happening you need to be getting your beauty sleep. After a good night’s slumber you should be looking your best (apart from bed hair of course).
This is because your body does all its recovering, repairing and regenerating while you sleep. So not getting enough quality sleep could be leaving you with
- Poor skin tone and blotchiness
- Puffy eyes
- Dark circles under your eyes
- More breakouts
- Drier skin, or
- An overall unhealthier appearance
We all lead very busy lives and we’d deserve a (friendly) slap if we told you that the solution to looking gorgeous in the morning was to go to bed 30 minutes earlier because not everyone has that luxury.
Instead here are a few tips to help you get higher quality sleep so that you get the most out of the time in bed (no rude jokes!!!). Better sleep will not only improve your skin but also your overall health.
7 Simple ways to maximise your beauty sleep so you wake up radiant.
1. Get your room as dark as possible.
No lights, no phones, no TV. Any light even the little red standby lights on the TV can affect the quality of sleep. Seeing light effects your melatonin production.
2. Take some time to wind down before jumping into bed.
A good way is to jot down 5 things you were grateful for during the day. This will allow your brain leave the day behind so you can switch off and rest. We know it is old fashioned but writing things down on paper is very therapeutic.
3. Put down the salt shaker.
Eating too much salt in the evening will cause puffiness especially around the eyes.
4. Sleeping on your back with your face up helps reduce wrinkles
Strange but true. (Please note that sleeping on your back is not for everybody.)
5. Drink water instead of wine before bed.
Drinking alcohol dehydrates you and your skin which will leave it flaky, dull and sullen.
6. Go to bed clean and moisturised.
Use a gentle moisturising cleanser to remove makeup and daily grime and then moisturise. Facial oils and serums are perfect to use just before bed because of their potent nutrients.
Facial oils can be used by themselves or with your favourite moisturiser. True serums on the other hand need to be followed by a moisturiser. Products high in anti-oxidants and vitamin C are best.
The Cloud 9 Deep Cleansing Balm and Good Vibes Omega Facial Oil are perfect choices in our humble opinion 
You can even leave the Cloud 9 Deep Cleansing Balm on all night for an intensive moisturising mask.
7. Don’t forget your hands and feet.
Giving your hands and twinkle toes a good moisturise just before bed will get them soft and smooth. (Wear some light socks on your feet so if you need to get up you don’t go slipping everywhere half asleep.)
Follow these tips and you should be sleeping better and waking looking refreshed and rejuvenated, not like you’ve just done 9 rounds in the ring with Mike Tyson.
Don’t forget that the Cloud 9 Deep Cleansing Balm is a supersized 100ml for the month of September (2013) so there has never been a better time to give your bedtime routine a makeover.
Image courtesy of Feelart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
