Can't sleep? 7 best products to help you sleep better and wake up gorgeous

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Can’t sleep? 7 best products to help you sleep better and wake up gorgeous

can't sleep 5 best products to help you sleep better and wake up gorgeous MAIN

Can’t sleep? Healthista’s Charlotte Dormon finds seven of the best products to help you wake up gorgeous and get a better nights sleep

Yesterday the clocks went back, and we all know that the end of daylight saving means we gain an hour – and that means longer in bed.

*cries happy tears*

Despite this extra hour, some people will still struggle to get enough shut-eye. In fact, a staggering 40 per cent of us don’t get the recommended six to nine hours sleep a night, research by The Sleep Council has found.

We’ve all had trouble sleeping at one time or another, whether it’s chronic insomnia or just a bad night, but while some people are able to cope with little sleep, the majority of us cannot.

And when it comes to struggling the following day with a lack of shut-eye from erratic sleep; it can affect how you feel (say hello to Miss Moody) and how good you look (say hello to dealing with lacklustre skin, puffy eyes and new wrinkles you didn’t even recall seeing the night before).

40 per cent of us don’t get the recommended six to nine hours sleep

Often we are just too wired to sleep well no thanks to excess caffeine, sugar, alcohol and stress – all of which can all play havoc with our hormones and ability to get a good nights rest.

But good quality sleep is arguably the most important thing we need when it comes to optimal health.

There is a reason why all wellbeing and beauty experts say ‘you’ve got to get your beauty sleep’ and that’s because going to bed and getting as much rest as you can is imperative for us to refresh, repair and rejuvenate from the inside out.

So, whether you’re a night owl or a morning lark, you need to find a way to get as much sleep as possible so you can to wake up fresh-faced and fighting fit.

First things first, check your bedroom is ideal for sleep

Is your bedroom sleep-enhancing or sleep wrecking? Check that your room is set up for giving you the best nights sleep.

Shut off any technology that emit any bright or flashing lights, such as computers, phones, TV boxes, alarm clocks etc.

The darker your room is, the better chance you have of producing more melatonin to ensure you get deep sleep. Eye masks and earplugs will also be a good investment for those sensitive to noise and light that simply can’t be blocked out.

Indeed, according to research from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical University, electronic light disrupts your circadian rhythm along with suppressing melatonin – the hormone that promotes sleep.

Their study monitored twelve adult volunteers, half of which read a paper book and half from an e-reader before bed.

Those who used electronics took longer to fall asleep, had less Rapid Eye Movement (REM) and were more tired and less alert the next morning.

cant-sleep-5-best-products-to-help-you-sleep-better-and-wake-up-gorgeous.jpg

Next, it’s time to adopt a bedtime routine

Getting into the habit of going to bed at a regular time each night and getting up at the same time each morning is one of the easiest ways you can improve your sleep.

Although it may seem like a smart move, lie ins and long naps at the weekend disrupt our body clocks which in turn could disrupt our sleep and make it harder to fall asleep during the week.

So, a way to ensure you get the right amount of sleep is setting up a bedtime routine. For example, locking up, brushing your teeth, bathing, setting you alarm clock and reading for 20 minutes before bed, will all help to get you in the mood for sleep.

try waking up at the same time every day, even at the weekend

Plus, try waking up at the same time every day, even at the weekend. This trains your body to use the time it has to sleep most efficiently.

Once you have got your bedroom up to sleeping scratch and perfected your bedtime routine, it’s time to up the ante and add a few sleeping beauty helpers into the mix, so you aren’t just waking up refreshed, but beautiful too.

#1 Pop a pill  – Lumity

When trying to get a better night’s sleep, you need to support and calm your nervous system and there are some nutrients that may help you.

Adequate vitamin C levels are important as it helps to nourish the adrenal glands. When you nourish your adrenal glands the system calms down which can help with the anxiety and stress that can cause insomnia. Studies have shown that a lack of vitamin C could contribute to sleep loss.

Feeding your skin the right nutrients from within, is just as (if not even more) important to sleeping well as it is to looking like you’ve slept well.

Certain vitamins and essential fatty acids delivered in a nutritional supplementation will help to ward off wrinkles and make sure your skin cells are nourished and protected from oxidation, so you can rest in peace knowing you are taking care of your skin.

Try taking Lumity Night capsules each evening (a minimum of three months is highly recommended). Lumity night supplements will ensure you are getting the right nutrients, (including vitamin C, magnesium and fatty acids), in order to help you wake up feeling and looking refreshed.

LUMITY Could this anti ageing supplement be the key to younger-looking skin_ MAIN

#2 Drink collagen – Correxiko Collagen powder

Correxiko_Collagen powder

We start to rapidly lose our natural collagen stores from the age of 25 years old.

Collagen is ‘the glue’ that holds us together and has been hailed as a miracle supplement by leaders in the beauty industry.

So, topping up on this skin, hair and nail enhancing wonder supplement is a must to keep our skin from sagging, and helping it stay soft and plump.

Fine lines, thinning skin, excessive dryness and pigmentation are all part of our natural ageing process.

But if we don’t look after our skin (sun damage, stress, bad diet, alcohol, etc), these signs can be accelerated.

What’s more, collagen contains glycine (an amino acid) that has been shown to improve the quality of sleep. Studies have also shown that glycine significantly improves fatigue and daytime sleepiness in people who experience insomnia.

For better sleep and better skin, try adding a tablespoon of Correxiko Collagen powder to warm or cold water to replenish your depleted stores.

#3 Start taking CBD – NaturalWorks

Do you ever go to bed with clear skin, have a rubbish nights sleep and then wake up with bad skin?

Well CBD may just be the answer if this often happens to you. That’s because CBD has been shown to be effective in fighting acne as it helps reduce the production of sebum in the skin.

Touting many benefits, CBD (cannabidiol) offers serious antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits that can help in treating skin concerns like inflammation, dryness and free radical damage.

NaturalWorks CBD Oil product shot

Additionally, studies indicate that cannabidiol may be effective in treating eczema and psoriasis as well.

Other than helping your skin while you sleep, CBD can also help aid the quality of your sleep. Indeed, insomnia and sleep disorders are among the top five reasons for taking CBD.

CBD works directly on the endocannabinoid system in the brain, enhancing the effects of other brain chemicals, such as serotonin and anandamide, to reduce pain perception, relieve anxiety and stress, improve sleep and lift mood.

REM sleep means Rapid Eye Movement and is essentially the term for when we enter a deeper phase of sleep, usually when you dream. It’s also the kind of sleep you hope to get several times during the night as it helps process emotions and memories and is essential to long-term wellbeing.

Not only is CBD great for promoting REM sleep but also CBD also reduces muscle tension, restlessness and anxiety. Many studies have proven the effectiveness of CBD on sleep quality.

Indeed, a recent study presented at the sixteenth annual conference of the International Society of Sports Nutrition in 2019 showed that taking just 15mg CBD for six weeks produced significant improvements in sleep and quality of life, such as less daytime sleepiness.

Try NaturalWorks THC-free Broad Spectrum, a CBD oil made from top-shelf Swiss-grown CBD hemp flower and is a perfect supplement to help reduce stress and anxiety, help you sleep, or just to enhance your overall well-being.

#4 Sleep on silk  – Blissy

blissy_white_silk pillowcase

Messy hair, don’t care? Hmmm, maybe not when you only have 30 minutes to get ready for your morning work Zoom meeting.

If you often wake up with hair that resembles a wild nest on top your head, and have nightmare knots to content with, then a silk pillowcase will be the answer to your glossy hair prayers.

Silk pillows are becoming a real trend in the The US for enhancing beauty sleep, and as well as helping your hair stay sleek, smooth and tangle-free, sleeping on a silk pillowcase will help your skin retain moisture and prevent you from waking up with pillow creases all over your face.

Silk isn’t only renowned for its anti-ageing effects, but also for its gentle texture that promotes relaxation. It’s soothing and cooling appeal will also help to improve the quality of sleep as it helps to control and reduce hot flushes.

#5 Get topical  – Ren Wakeup Wonderful Night Time Facial

Ren wake wonderful night time facial

Taking your makeup off at night, cleansing your face and using a moisturiser before you go to bed is a no brainer to help your skin stay fresh, but you can find certain treatments that are specifically designed to encourage your skin to renew overnight.

The Wake up Wonderful by Ren is a naturally exfoliating and hydrating skin booster that is designed to work overnight to leave skin visibly brighter.

Once applied, the treatment works to exfoliate your skin, using AHAs to reduce pores appearance, even up texture, support natural cell turnover, and lock in moisture. The result is a fresh morning face, even if you haven’t got the best nights sleep.

I think we can all agree too, that self-care goes a long way when it comes to getting better sleep.

Running yourself a bath, applying luxury creams and reading before bed will all help to relax the nervous system and promote feelings of sleep.

#6 Don’t eat late, have a protein shake – Bio-Synergy

bioskinny protein

Whilst we might be asleep, our bodies are working super hard overnight to repair and recover what we have carried out during the day, both mentally and physically. This is when our deep and very essential repair work starts to take place.

Eating a big meal late at night can cause us to sleep very badly and cause us to wake up bloated in the night and groggy the next morning.

If you are someone who works late, or works out late, making a healthy sleep supportive protein shake will be a great solution.

By blending Bio-Synergy with a tablespoon of oats, a teaspoon of almond butter and half a small banana together as an alternative to a late and heavy evening meal, this will not only help you sleep better but it will also help you release more tryptophan (the sleepy brain chemical).

The protein and fat will also help to stabilise your blood sugars which will prevent you from waking up in the night.

pukka night time tea

#7 Drink some soothing tea – Pukka

As well as looking into meditation apps to help your busy mind unwind, and learning relaxation techniques such as deep belly breathing, or a soothing yin yoga class.

You may also find natural herbal remedies and sleepy teas, such as Pukka Night Time tea and capsules can ease patterns of insomnia and encourage deep sleep.

Drink a tea in the evening to help you relax, and take two capsules an hour before you go to bed.

This sleep-supportive combo from Pukka will help you drift off with ease to get that essential rejuvenating beauty sleep.

charlotte white backgorund

Charlotte Dormon is not a chef, or even that much of a cook. If it’s recipes you’re looking for – you’re in the wrong place.

But whether it’s Sunday lunch or Friday night cocktails, she’s the one friends and family turn to when they want to know how to eat out and be relatively healthy.

We’ll drink – and eat – to that.

7 surprising hacks for a good night’s sleep

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