July 14, 2020 7 min read

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    In today’s society, we have many distractions. With our smartphones & mobile devices, binge-watching on Netflix, childcare, and a ton of work that needs to get done, it is pretty easy to put off sleep. But let’s face it, it is no secret that getting an adequate amount of sleep is important. The blogs and books always remind us that 7-10 hours a night is best, but why? Let’s find out!

    What Happens When We Sleep?

    Let’s just say a lot happens when we all fall asleep! Our brains and bodies are not actually inactive, contrary to what you might think. When we are sleeping our bodies are hard at work. There are two types of sleep that we cycle through: REM sleep (rapid eye movement), which constitutes about 20-25% of the total time in sleep (rapid eye movement) and non-REM sleep, which constitutes the remaining 75-80%.

    Non-REM Sleep

    Non-REM sleep has 3 stages, each lasting for about 5-15 minutes. You enter non-REM sleep at the beginning of the night and stay there for most of the night before entering REM sleep. The stages of non-REM sleep are below:

    Stage 1:Your eyes are closed, but you can easily be awakened. This stage lasts for about the first 5-10 minutes of when you fall to sleep.

    Stage 2: Your heart rate begins to slow and your body temperature drops as your body prepares for deep sleep.

    Stage 3: You are finally in a deep sleep and will not easily be awakened. If you are awakened, you will feel disoriented for a few minutes.

    REM sleep

    REM Sleep

    REM sleep occurs about 90 minutes after falling asleep. During REM sleep, your heart rate and breathing increases and you can experience intense dreams, as the brain is more active. The first period of REM lasts for only 10 minutes, but each of the later REM stages gets longer throughout the night. The final one lasts up to an hour.

    So, why is sleep SO important?

    Sleeping is important for your health and for beauty. This is the time the body releases the human growth hormone (HGH) and repairs itself. This repairing process takes place during the deep stages of non-REM sleep. During these hours of sleep, the body has a chance to repair the brain, muscles, bones, epidermis and skin. Have you ever noticed that when you don’t get a good night’s sleep, the following day your skin is dull and your eyes are puffy? The reason why these things happen is due to your body’s lack of proper rest.

    Stages of non-REM sleep

    Benefits of Beauty Sleep

    Anti-Aging: While you are catching up on zzz’s your body is also producing new collagen. Collagen reduces the appearances of fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin. It also serves to repair our joints and bones, while helping our body to recover from physical activity.To enhance this process and ensure that your body produces an adequate amount of collagen, you can incorporate a Collagen Peptides Supplement into your dietary routine.

    Glowing Skin:While sleeping, your body boosts blood flow to the skin. This promotes a healthy glow. Lack of sleep has the opposite effect, decreasing blood flow and resulting in dull and lifeless looking skin.  

    Brighter Eyes (Dark Circles and Puffiness):When you aren’t getting enough sleep and your blood flow decreases, it collects underneath the eyes. The skin in that area is very thin, which explains why you can visibly see that accumulation of fluid. This results in dark circles and puffiness.

    Healthy Hair: Hair follicles receive nutrients from blood flow. As mentioned before, sleep promotes an increase in blood flow and which helps maintain healthy, strong, and growing hair.

    Clear Skin (reduce your breakouts):A lack of sleep can release the stress hormone called cortisol, potentially resulting in inflammation of the skin. This inflammation can lead to skin conditions, such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema. Higher cortisol levels can also contribute to weight gain.

    Mental Clarity: Receiving an adequate amount of sleep is essential for the brain. You can take on the day with better focus, concentration, and a sharp mind and reflexes.

    Healthy Appetite: When the body is sleep deprived the hunger hormone ghrelin, which stimulates the appetite spikes, while the hormone leptin, which decreases the appetite falls. Therefore, when you receive a good night’s rest your appetite is properly regulated.

    How to Get a Good Night’s Rest

    Understanding the benefits of a good night’s sleep may be good motivation to get you ready for some shut-eye, but you may still be stuck on the ‘how’. We have mentioned the many distractions that can keep us from getting a proper full night’s sleep, approximately 7-9 hours for most adults. Rest assured, there are pre-bedtime steps that you can take to make sure you can get the beauty sleep you deserve. This is also known as sleep hygiene.

    1. Stick to a sleep schedule. This helps regulate your internal clock so that your mind and body knows when it is time to wind down
    2. Limit your caffeine intake. This applies to how much you drink and what time you’re drinking it. Caffeine can disrupt your sleep schedule and your body’s ability to relax when it is time to go to sleep.
    3. Put the electronics down. 30-60 minutes before bed and swap the phone out for a book. The stimulation from the phone or laptop makes it difficult to relax, not to mention the blue light emitted from the cell phone screen. This light interferes with your production of melatonin, which controls the circadian rhythm.
    4. Incorporate dietary supplements that promote quality sleep:
    • Amandean Collagen Peptides: Not only does collagen help to repair and renew the skin while you take a snooze, It also helps improve your sleep. Glycine, the amino acid found in collagen significantly improves the quality of sleep. Enjoying a hot drink such as tea or warm milk right before bedtime can be relaxing. This is a simple and easy way to mix your collagen powder to get your dosage for the day.
    • Amandean Vegan Omega-3: Omega-3 helps to boost your DHA & EPA. Low levels of DHA have been linked to lower levels of melatonin, the hormone that is responsible for helping you fall asleep. Omega-3 contains a high concentration of DHA and can be incorporated into your diet in order to improve your sleep.
    • Amandean Beef Gelatin: Beef gelatin powder (also collagen protein) is also abundant in glycine which has been shown to enhance and promote quality sleep.
    • Amandean Liposomal Glutathione: it has been found that maintaining high levels of glutathione can help you fall sleep faster. Furthermore, a good nights rest can also increase the body’s ability to produce more glutathione.

    Pre-bedtime routine

    Night time Skin Care Routines

    Preparing your face for beauty rest is just as important as the actual rest itself. Developing an ultimate night time skincare routine prepares your face for a night full of rest and recovery that will make your dermatologist proud.  

    Wash it off: Clean the day off of your face. Remove any make-up, bacteria, or residue that has been applied to your skin throughout the day. This reduces the risk of clogged pores and breakouts. Make-up remover is generally more gentle than using soap.

    Exfoliate:Slough away the dead skin cells and extra bacteria that your cleanser may not have been able to reach, promoting unclogged pores, bright and even skin.

    Moisturize: Using a moisturizing lotion can help maintain the moisture of the skin and combat dull dry skin that can otherwise occur when not using a moisturizer.

    Bonus Tip: Change your pillowcases regularly in order to avoid breakouts. Your pillowcase can collect oil and bacteria over time, and keeping them clean & fresh can help reduce irritation to the skin. A silk pillowcase is also a great way to retain moisture in your skin and hair throughout the night.

    Bottom Line

    Before you hit the hay tonight, we encourage you to make sure you are doing all you can to get your beauty sleep! Getting a full night’s sleep is not always easy, especially with all of the distractions that we tend to prioritize over sleeping. However, getting an adequate amount of rest is critical to good health. Amandean strives to make it easier on you! Incorporating dietary supplements that come with a plethora of benefits including a more restful night will have you waking up feeling refreshed, energized, and ready to take on the day!

    Summary Points:

    Non-REM sleep has three stages, each of which lasts for approx. 5-15 minutes

    REM sleep is when intense dreams occur and the brain is more active

    Sleep is crucial for both health and beauty, as this is when the body repairs itself

    There are numerous benefits of sleep, including better aging, healthy skin, and mental clarity

    Good sleep hygiene requires minimizing distractions and optimizing your nutrition

    All-natural dietary supplements promote skin quality and sleep duration

    Proper night time skincare routines contribute to glowing, healthy skin

    Article References:

    1. What Happens When You Sleep. Retrieved June 9, 2020, from: https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/ss/slideshow-sleep-body-effects
    2. What are REM and Non-REM?. Retrieved June 9, 2020, from: https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-101
    3. Sleep Disorder and Sleep Deprivation. Retrieved June 9, 2020, from, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19956/
    4. 6 Ways to Maximize your Beauty Sleep for #wokeuplikethis Skin. Retrieved June 9, 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/beauty-sleep#1
    5. How Sleep Improves Your Sleep. Retrieved June 9, 2020, from https://www.sleep.org/articles/how-sleep-improves-your-skin/
    6. How Much Sleep Do You Need. Retrieved June 9 2020 from https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-requirements#1
    7. Why it’s Time to Ditch the Phone Before Bed. Retrieved June 9, 2020 from https://www.sclhealth.org/blog/2019/09/why-it-is-time-to-ditch-the-phone-before-bed/
    8. 17 Science-Based Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Retrieved June 9, 2020 from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/17-health-benefits-of-omega-3#section16
    9. Top 9 Benefits and Uses of Glycine. Retrieved June 9, 2020 from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/glycine
    10. The Benefits of Slumber. Retrieved on June 9, 2020. From https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2013/04/benefits-slumber 
    11. The Connection Between Sleep and Overeating. Retrieved on June 9, 2020. From https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/connection-between-sleep-and-overeating
    12. Glutathione and a Better Night’s Sleep. Retrieved on June 9, 2020. From https://liponaturals.com/Glutathione-and-a-Better-Night%E2%80%99s-Sleep_b_8.html



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