Fall back, spring forward. Don't forget to change your clocks tonight! Daylight Savings Time's fall-back gives us that extra hour of snooze time most of us are craving. Although we find that our beauty routines seem to be followed more consistently during the cooler months, we will experience a bit of the doldrums as the sun goes down sooner and we get ready to face shorter days and a lot less sunshine.
But “falling back” on November 1 might do more than give you a bout of temporary depression; it could also affect your sleep quality, especially if you’re someone already prone to insomnia or other sleep problems like both Mother Blogger and The Working Girl.
To get your best beauty sleep, here are some tips to make falling asleep and feeling rested easier:
• Keep your sleep routine consistent, going to bed and rising at the same time every day.
• Follow a relaxing routine before bedtime. Take a warm bath or shower. Then put on a light pair of pajamas and top your tootsies with socks infused with aloe vera and vitamin E from .Karen Neuburger (We received these luxurious socks from PR and loved our morning feet so much, we invested in a few more pairs to pamper our peds through the cold winter.) Other routines to consider, read a book, or do deep breathing exercises.
• Reserve your bed for sleep and sex alone so that you associate it with pleasure and relaxation. Never engage in stressful activities like bill paying or working on the laptop while in bed.
• Avoid caffeine consumption after noon. And remember that’s not just soda and coffee. Chocolate contains caffeine as well.
• Don’t drink alcohol before bed. While an evening drink may make you relaxed and help you fall asleep faster, it will disrupt your normal sleep rhythms, causing you to get less restful sleep or even to wake up in the night.
• Avoid eating heartburn inducing foods in the evening. Acid reflux will not only keep you uncomfortable and awake, but it can worsen troubles for those suffering from snoring and sleep apnea.
• Make sure to see sunlight every morning, particularly if you’re having trouble feeling rested at the beginning of the day. Getting a good burst of sunshine in your face for even a few minutes can help reset your circadian rhythm.
• If you can’t fall asleep after 20 minutes of lying in bed, get up and do something relaxing for awhile until you do feel sleepy. Tossing and turning will only make it worse.
And if you find yourself fighting winter doldrums because you’re not getting enough sun, a problem The Working Girl faces when she doesn't get home from work till after dark, make an effort to bring sunlight into your life every day. Open the sun roof on your car during your morning commute, or make time to stop for breakfast and get out and stretch in the sunlight for a few minutes, or invest in a Sunbox, which has been part of our aresenal to fight SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder for over a decade.
A good night's sleep is one of the best ways to improve long-term health and happiness....and that's real beauty.
