Beauty Sleep

Beauty Sleep
The health and beauty of a good night's sleep

by Cathy Gatson
Sleeping is a necessity, not a luxury. A good night's sleep is just as crucial to maintaining wellness as is a healthy diet and proper exercise.

The Importance of Sleep
Sleep is a restorative process. While we're sleeping, our brain is cycling through the 3 stages of sleep: light, deep and REM. Sleep restores, rejuvenates and energizes the body and brain. Our immune systems are recharged, cells grow and repair themselves, and our bodies conserve energy.

Dangers of Sleep Deprivation
Unfortunately, to many sleep is not valued. In this "open all night" society we now live in, four out of ten Americans are trading much-needed sleep hours for longer hours at the office, gym, club and other activities which seem more important or interesting. What they may not realize is that lack of sleep takes a toll on our mental and physical well being. Studies performed by the National Sleep Foundation show that even minimal sleep loss has a profoundly detrimental impact on mood, cognition, performance, productivity, communication skills, accident rates and general health. For optimal functioning throughout the day, the average adult needs between seven to nine hours sleep a night. According to the NSF, the American adult population functions on about six and a half hours of sleep per night.

Don't Sleep?
For some, lack of sleep is not a choice, but a condition. Millions of Americans suffer from insomnia. According to the NSF, a third of Americans are using over the counter or prescription sleep aids at night. If you suffer from insomnia, here are a few tips to help you get some shut eye:
· Pray before bedtime. The bible tells us to "Cast your burden upon the Lord. Don't go to bed with a heavy load. Give it to God. Remember Joy comes in the morning"
· Avoid caffeinated food and beverages like coffee, teas, soft drinks and chocolate 3 to 4 hours before bedtime.
· Exercise regularly, but complete your workout at least three hours before bedtime. Keep your body calm.
· Make sure your mattress is the right one for you. Flip your mattress over periodically.
· Develop a bedtime ritual. Taking a warm bath 90 minutes before bedtime will relax your body and usually make you feel sleepy.
· Make sure your bedroom is quiet and comfortable.
· Have a cup of warm milk.
· Play relaxing music.
· Go to bed and wake up the same time every day. When your sleep cycle has a regular rhythm you will feel better.

Be a Sleeping Beauty
A friend of mine once told me that a woman should present herself to her husband at bedtime like a present. Interesting?so I polled a few colleagues and found overall most husbands prefer their wives to be lingerie clad at bedtime. Nude came in a very close second and pajamas were considered very un-sexy. Wives preferred their hubbys wear only boxers to bed. Whatever your sleepwear preference, bedtime is the opportunity to prepare your mind and body for the rest it deserves. Here are a few more tips to help you sleep pretty:
· Always remove your makeup and cleanse your face thoroughly before bed (Oil of Olay Foaming Face Wash for Sensitive Skin). Going to bed without washing your face not only leads to mascara-stained sheets (Andrea Eye Q's eye makeup remover pads $3.50+ voted best by Allure Magazines 1999) but the dirt picked up during the day can clog pores and lead to acne.
· Brush and floss your teeth.
· Vaseline works wonders on rough spots while you sleep. Try it on feet, elbows, and knees and dab a little on your lips too.
· There are several night creams on the market now claiming to be more effective if applied at bedtime, here are a few to try: Lancome - Primoridale Intense Night Cream $41.50, Murad Perfecting Night Cream $41.50. If these prices are more than you normally spend then L'Oreal Age Perfect Night Cream and Oil of Olay ProVital night creams are available at Wal-Mart and Target. Prices range from $14 - $15.
· If you wrap your hair in a scarf at bedtime, remember to wash it regularly.
· Wear your fancy nighties to bed. Don't save them for a special occasion. You are a special occasion.
· After your bath or shower ritual slather on a lotion that relaxes you and helps you fall asleep like Origins Night-a-mins moisture lotion or Calm to Your Senses Body Souflee.
· Marilyn Monroe is said to only have worn Chanel No.5 to bed but if you prefer something a little lighter then Issey Miyake's L'Eau D'Issey Soothing Night Fragrance is a good pick.

Here's wishing you brighter days and more restful nights!

Cathy Gatson is a freelance writer and owner/operator of a hair and body salon located in Northern California.

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Google News Updated : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:51:53 GMT 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua' Still Top Dog At Box Office - MTV.com BBC News 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua' Still Top Dog At Box Office MTV.com - 4 hours ago By Shawn Adler Disney's "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" won the weekend box office for the second-straight week. It made $17.5 million. How did DiCaprio and Crowe get chomped by 'Chihuahua'? Chicago Tribune `Chihuahua' fetches $17.5M to win another weekend The Associated Press New York Times - Los Angeles Times - Entertainment Weekly - FlickDirect all 781 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:18:47 GMT Austin stocks rally with rest of Wall St. - Bizjournals.com Boston Globe Austin stocks rally with rest of Wall St. Bizjournals.com - 31 minutes ago Austin stocks were posting mostly positive results on Monday as the Dow Jones industrial index climbed more than 500 points. By midday nearly all Austin area public companies’ stocks were in positive territory aided by a general market rally as the US ... Monday markets make rebound Live 5 News Wall Street's Wild Week: Investors Live With It ABC News USA Today - Los Angeles Times - KSBY - New York Times all 4,397 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:20:43 GMT Zimbabwe’s Power-Sharing Deal Is in Jeopardy - New York Times BBC News Zimbabwe’s Power-Sharing Deal Is in Jeopardy New York Times - 1 hour ago By CELIA W. DUGGER JOHANNESBURG - The European Union condemned President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe on Monday for going ahead with the formation of a new government without the agreement of the opposition. Mugabe swears in vice-presidents as Zimbabwe power-sharing deal ... guardian.co.uk Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Threatens to Quit Power-Share Deal Voice of America AFP - AllAfrica.com - Bloomberg - Telegraph.co.uk all 2,647 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:24:27 GMT Pediatricians double vitamin D recommendations - Reuters ABC News Pediatricians double vitamin D recommendations Reuters - 1 hour ago CHICAGO (Reuters) - The American Academy of Pediatrics has doubled its recommendation for a daily dose of vitamin D in children in the hopes of preventing rickets and reaping other health benefits, the group said on Monday. Vitamin D Supplementation Guidelines for Youngsters Doubled U.S. News & World Report Vitamin D: New Guidelines for Children WebMD ABC News - New York Times - Boston Globe - New York Daily News all 498 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:36:45 GMT Manatee dies before reaching rehab site - Boston Globe eFluxMedia Manatee dies before reaching rehab site Boston Globe - 10 hours ago By Emily Canal After a 27-hour trip to Florida, Dennis the manatee, rescued from the frigid waters of Cape Cod, died in Orlando yesterday as SeaWorld employees carted the mammal to a rehabilitation center. Video: Rescued Manatee Dies After Mass. Rescue AssociatedPress Dennis the Manatee Dies before Getting to Florida Sea World eFluxMedia ChattahBox - New York Daily News - Bostonist - Times of the Internet all 595 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:21:21 GMT National Digest - Annapolis Capital CBC.ca National Digest Annapolis Capital - 35 minutes ago LOS ANGELES - Intense Santa Ana winds swept into Southern California this morning and whipped up a 3000-acre wildfire, forcing the closure of a major freeway during rush hour and burning mobile homes and industrial buildings. Firefighters battle blaze north of Los Angeles AFP Valley Firefighters Help Crews Battle Massive Blaze in Southern ... KMPH Fox 26 Monsters and Critics.com - KSWT-TV - Bradenton Herald all 2,207 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:15:58 GMT NLCS Preview from The Sports Network - Sports Network CBC.ca NLCS Preview from The Sports Network Sports Network - 1 hour ago (Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Dodgers will try to even the National League Championship Series at two games apiece this evening, when they play Game 4 of the best-of-seven set against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium. Video: Benches Clear in Game 3 of NLCS AssociatedPress LA revitalized at Moyer's expense MLB.com FOXSports.com - New York Times - USA Today - Los Angeles Times all 2,561 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:57:52 GMT RSS to HTML Increased Website Traffic

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