Even if you think you are getting enough sleep, you are probably not getting enough high-quality sleep during the right time frame.
Your energy’s worst enemy is sleep deprivation. So, hit the hay. Grab some shut eye. Rack up. Crawl in. Kip down. Sack out. Turn in. Retire. It doesn’t matter how you say it—just get more of it! Snuggle up with seven to nine hours of the good stuff nightly, or you will wake up one day to find your beauty and health gone. Just take a look at your eyes after one bad night’s rest and imagine what is also happening inside your body, too.
As my granddad used to tell me, “An hour’s sleep before midnight is worth two after midnight.” Getting eight hours of sleep from 2:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. is not the same quality as getting eight hours of sleep from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. We all know exactly how poor a poor night’s rest makes us look and feel.
Did you know that some studies even suggest working a night shift job increases cancer risk? Our bodies were designed to sleep when it is dark and work when it is light. Altering a built-in biological fact isn’t healthy. Don’t sleepwalk through life. Make drastic changes to your lifestyle—just fix it now!
There are bonus rewards for the well-rested: a good night’s sleep is the cheapest makeover you can get and an inexpensive alternative to plastic surgery for puffy, dark circles under your eyes. Your skin cells divide and reproduce the fastest around 11:00 p.m. every night, so being in bed asleep by then, not watching a home shopping channel or reading a diet book, helps nurture your natural beauty renewal process.
Since counting sheep isn’t proven to help you overcome difficulty falling asleep, try relaxing with a hot bath and carcinogen-free soy candles. Trade relaxing face and neck massages with your spouse. If night sweats from menopause are keeping you up, eat a Revival soy bar or shake. Of course, avoid the late-night caffeine, spicy foods, meals, or herbs and drugs that may keep you awake. Completely darkening your bedroom at night may work wonders—it certainly does for me. If all else fails, try a dietary-supplement sleep aid, like melatonin or valerian root, to help regulate your body clock. If you do finally run out of sheep to count, try a small dose of non-addictive prescription sleep medicine from your doctor as a last resort.
Choose to awaken to a world of wonders with extra energy. As mom says, “A good night’s rest will make everything better in the morning.” Your tenacious tiger will be frisky with fortitude when you get enough sleep.
