We could all do with an extra dose of beauty sleep, right? The midnight hour is the time when your body essentially gives itself an MOT – your skin regenerates faster, your memory gets a boost and your inflammatory (AKA aging) responses are curbed. Oh, and then there’s the fact that a good night’s sleep immeasurably brightens your complexion, banishes dark circles and gives you a lovely, healthy glow. The only catch is that despite how tired we all are, sleep can be pretty elusive. How much of the day do you spend yawning? How many minutes do you lose each morning hitting ‘snooze’, only to find that come bedtime you’re very…awake? Whether it’s the pressures of work, a tech addiction or a noisy neighbour, getting your forty winks is no mean feat. We spoke to Margo Marrone, founder of The Organic Pharmacy to get her top tips for a better night’s beauty sleep. No sleep mask required…
By Daniela Morosini
-
1 Re think your evening meal and drinks
'Certain foods can really mess with your sleep cycle,' says Margo. 'Steer clear of foods containing tyramine. Aubergines, courgettes, tomatoes and potatoes all have tyramine – it can stimulate your adrenaline production which is not what you want before you nod off.' Dark choclolate and alcohol should also be struck off the list (sorry!) as both can fire up your cortisol levels as you sleep making you wake in the middle of the night. Avoiding the stimulation of coffee before bed is obvious enough, but if you're still drinking tea then watch out. Instead, drink warm almond milk, mint tea and load up on soy beans, pumpkin seeds and turkey, all of which contain sleep-boosting tryptophan.
-
2 Top up on magnesium
Don't deal with your bad sleeping patterns by relying on before bed medication. Instead, consider adding Magnesium to your morning supplement intake and you could reap the rewards come lights out. ‘Magnesium is a critical mineral in the body and is particularly important when it comes to coping with stress. It helps to calm the body by counteracting the effects of adrenaline that you release when you’re under pressure during the day. 'Type A personalities have a higher tendency towards magnesium deficiency, which can lead to a host of symptoms including irritability, loss of concentration and becoming easily tired,' explains Margo. We recommend The Organic Pharmacy Calcium and Magnesium Complex, £18.95
-
3 Make friends with yin yoga
All forms of yoga are helpful when it comes to getting a better night's sleep but yin yoga is a great place to start. 'This highly restorative yoga practice is the ideal way to ease yourself to sleep because it stimulates the parasympathetic system, which slows down your heart rate and calms your nerves,' says Margo. 'Yoga breathing plays a big part in the winding down process as well.' If you’re not a yoga pro, the easiest way to get this sleep-inducing effect is to sit with your legs apart, place a couple of pillows in front of you and lean forward until you forehead makes contact with your pile of pillows. Allow yourself to relax into this forward bend for at least three minutes. You’ll be amazed how calm you feel after. Namaste.
-
4 Take a warm bath before bed
'Take a bath before bed – a warm bath with lavender, jasmine or epsom salts is a wonderful way to unwind’, advised Margo. 'It also relaxes the muscles and with time can turn into a calming, nightly ritual you can tap into whenever sleep is an issue. The timing of your bath is as important as the goodies you put into it. Save your soak for bedtime so you can slip straight out of the tub and into bed with nothing to distract you from your sleepy state.'
-
5 Embrace a digital detox
If your going-to-bed routine usually involves an aimless half-hour scroll on Instagram, it could be costing you more than a few sleepless nights. The blue light emitted by your phone, tablet or laptop gives your a body a cue to wake up – which means your internal clock gets a bit confused when you then try and hit the hay. We know it’s hard to go cold turkey, but even not using technology for 30 minutes before bed could really make a difference. Our suggestion? Re-discover reading books – we're talking the paper type, not Kindle – or better yet, lie in bed listening to relaxing music. Enya anyone?