Sleep: A Simple and Healthy Solution for Looking and Feeling Younger

Are you ready to dive into the fountain of youth?  Growing older has a broad range of complications, like aching joints and wrinkled skin.  Thankfully, you can maintain your youth and vitality just by getting more sleep.  

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Running on fumes

We often forget our childhood lessons about getting sufficient slumber.  The old adage about “early to bed, early to rise” goes by the wayside for many adults, with sleep seen as a bit of a waste of time.  Instead, we attempt to replace the energy we would gain from catching Zs with caffeine, sugar, and other stimulants.  According to HealthLine, adults’ sleep requirements range from 7 to 9 hours per night.  When we sacrifice that sleep, no matter how we try to fill in the gap, we may sacrifice productivity, focus, stability, and long-term health.  Being sleep deprived can impair your immune function, cardiovascular health, digestion, and hormone production.  In effect, it can age you before your time.

Cover your basics

You might not give it much thought, but being sleep deprived has a direct effect on your appearance.  Just amping up your sleep regimen can improve how you look, helping to avoid bags under your eyes and a sagging, pallid complexion.  Some experts believe sleep deprivation can also lead to dehydration.  Dry skin can look wrinklier, flakier, and duller.  Revisiting your habits for hydration and sleep together can mean looking and feeling younger in a snap.  Make sure you drink enough water, wash with warm rather than hot water, and use quality skin care products to help maintain your skin’s hydration.  

The skinny on sleep

Your sleep habits are a key to maintaining optimal health throughout your life.  If your slumber is lacking in duration or quality, that youthful vitality you’re seeking is likely to remain evasive.  To start with, engage in a regular sleep schedule.  Go to bed at the same time each night and rise at the same time each morning, even on days off.  Even if you feel tired, avoid taking naps, and steer clear of stimulants late in the day.  Establish a healthy bedtime routine to help tell your mind and body it’s time to wind down.  This should include relaxing activities, like a period of meditation, listening to soothing music, or reading an enjoyable book.  Identify a ritual that helps you get into sleep mode, and for best results, engage it around the same time each evening.  

Bedroom boosters

Does your bedroom enhance or hinder your slumber?  A sleep-friendly environment can make all the difference in getting a good night’s rest.  Warm temperatures tend to encourage us to feel alert, so keep your bedroom cool.  Some experts suggest aiming for a temperature between 60 and 67 degrees.  It’s also important to keep the room dark.  Room darkening shades or blackout curtains can help if light is seeping in through your windows.  

Brighten your days

It might seem unrelated, but just like a dark room is better for your sleep at night, some exposure to sunshine throughout the day can also improve your slumber.  As explained by experts at Sunlight Institute, exposure to sunshine triggers a release of serotonin.  Seeing the sun helps your body synchronize naturally with the earth’s rhythms, so you’re able to sleep better at night.  Your eyes are the key factor, since seeing the sunlight appears to create the desired effect.  With that in mind, you can protect your skin from sun damage with appropriate clothing and sunscreen.  

Sometimes, simple solutions are right before our eyes.  If you’re on the hunt for a fountain of youth, make sure you’re getting a good night’s sleep.  Your anti-aging regimen can keep you feeling and looking your best for years to come.  

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Stephanie Haywood is the author of Mylifeboost.com - sharing personal development, self-improvement and inspirational boost.