BATB073_What actually is beauty sleep?

6:25am. Ugh. My alarm goes off. I get up, head to the bathroom and look in the mirror ⏰🥱

If I don't get enough sleep, it seems to be written all over my face.

Below I share with you my top 'beauty sleep' tips 👇 

In a nutshell – yes!

As we sleep, our body creates new collagen – the protein that keeps skin strong and elastic 😴💕

So, when we've missed out on a lot of sleep over a long period of time, our skin will start to look and feel less bouncy, toned and lifted.

As we age, our skin stops producing as much collagen, so any extra Zzzz's we can get our hands on can only be a bonus for our skin! 👍

The amount of sleep we need varies significantly from person to person, but research suggests that an average of around 7 to 8 hours is ideal for most of us ⏰

Our early deep sleep period (commonly known as 'Beauty Sleep') is a state when our growth hormones are on the rise, strengthening and repairing both muscles and bones.

Growth hormones have been linked to increasing collagen, cell production and lowering protein breakdown. Our growth hormones naturally decrease as we age, so we want to keep our levels topped up for as long as we possibly can! 🙏

Skin cells also regenerate faster at night than during the day, with cell division peaking at around 2am…

…renewal and rejuvenation occurring naturally while we sleep! 💖

I have to admit, I find the target to get up to 8 hours sleep a little difficult to maintain, especially when I go to bed late and have to be up so early for work 🥱 

I sometimes feel under pressure to fall asleep because I know that I need to get in as much sleep as possible before my alarm goes off! 

But luckily, I've found this next technique to help...

If you (like me) sometimes have trouble getting to sleep, try using the breathing technique called the '4-7-8' – it works like magic for me!

The method is commonly known as the '4-7-8' or 'Relaxing Breath Exercise' by a sleep expert; ‘Dr Andrew Weil’.

Here's a quick breakdown of how to do it in just three easy steps:

That sequence counts as one breath. Repeat these quick steps three more times, so the total is four breaths…and feel yourself relax! 🥰

You may feel a little lightheaded at first, but this will disappear with practice.

This simple method derived from a Yoga breathing exercise actually acts as a natural calming agent for our nervous system 🧘‍♀️

The technique will not only help you sleep, but it will also lower your heart rate, blood pressure, improve digestion and aid in reducing anxiety levels when practiced over time 💖

The science behind it is that by actually enforcing certain rhythms on your breath, gradually it tricks our nervous system to go into this state on an involuntary and regular basis.

The effects are not instantaneous but are noticed over time. The feeling of relaxation will become more intense, the longer you practice 💗✨

Beauty sleep is no myth – our bodies keep working hard while we sleep to repair and renew our skin cells and our wellbeing…

...and getting our fair dose of it can be as simple as a few breathing exercises per day! 😌

It's a simple tip, but it does the trick!

I've been using an incredible supplement to help boost my collagen levels and slow down ageing! 👍

So if you feel your skin is ageing because you're not getting enough 'beauty sleep' and your skin is suffering, check out this blog on how to help slow down the ageing process.

I hope my sleep tips above 👆 have helped you feel rested and more like the beautiful you! 💕

Plus, scroll down to discover even more tips that I think you'll love below!👇