A couple of weeks ago, as you may have seen on my Instagram, I spent the night at the Templar Hotel with Refresh Botanicals. As past of my ambassadorship with the all-natural, Canadian skincare brand, I’ve been taking part in some fun activities that have been helping me to refresh my routine in different ways; So far I’ve been paddle boarding in the Beaches, done yoga on Toronto Island & took part in a super fun burlesque class… But I have to say, my favourite activity so far has to be this one!
Let’s face it – it’s not always easy to get enough sleep. Between work, activities, a social calendar and life in general, it can definitely be hard to get a good night’s rest! Refresh Botanicals checked myself and a couple of the other ambassadors into the hotel for the night to give us a chance to catch up on beauty sleep, and let me tell you – I definitely needed it! Things have been pretty hectic for me in the past few weeks, and I’ve noticed that I’ve had a hard time getting into a proper sleep routine.
After checking into the hotel that night, I found a list of helpful sleep tips from local health and wellness expert Gary LeBlanc that I could start putting to use that evening, along with all of my favourite Refresh Botanicals products. The Night Restore Complex definitely came in handy during a night that was all about sleep – your skin and cells regenerate and restore the most while you sleep, which means it’s the perfect time to put it to use!
In the morning, we were treated to a delicious breakfast at Parcae, the new restaurant at the Templar Hotel, where we had a chance to chat with Gary & learn more about his essential sleep tips. I’ve been putting most of them to use since then, and I’m happy to report that I’ve been sleeping better & more soundly. I actually had trouble falling asleep for a while, most likely due to a new environment and big changes in my life, but putting these to work have helped!
Now of course, I wouldn’t finish this post without sharing Gary’s top ten tips for better beauty rest (below). Give them a read and let me know your sleep tips in the comment section!
- Avoid bright artificial lights within 60-90 minutes of going to bed as it can suppress melatonin for up to 90 minutes. Before bed, dim the lights and avoid TV.
- Completely black out your bedroom (including alarm clocks and smart phones). Even small amounts of light can disrupt your production of melatonin and serotonin (sleep-supporting hormones).
- Avoid eating within 3 hours of going to bed. Digesting most of your dinner before before bed allows your body to dedicate all its resources to repair and maintenance.
- Steer clear of artificial sleep aids, such as sleeping pills. Studies have shown that sleep aids have a very small impact on the rate at which people fall asleep.
- Don’t use an alarm clock or use one that peacefully wakes you up. Try alarm clocks that use vibration or slowly increase alarm volume. Abruptly waking up can spike adrenaline.
- Avoid drinking water within 90 minutes of bedtime. This helps to prevent having to get up to go to the washroom during the night, interrupting a deep sleep.
- Cool your bedroom by 3-4 degrees at night. Your body temperature drops when you sleep, and turning the temperature down mimics this change, ensuring a more comfortable sleep.
- Exercise at least 3 times per week, for a minimum of 30 minutes per session. Exercising calms the body and the mind, and regular exercise has shown to help people sleep an extra 45 minutes per night.
- Try to maintain a consistent sleep cycle. Your sleep cycle – consistently going to bed and waking up at the same times – is part of your natural circadian rhythm, and constantly changing this confuses your body.
- Avoid sleeping on your stomach to reduce back pain and get the best sleep. Sleeping on your back is optimal. Although sleeping on your side is a good alternative, it can induce premature wrinkles.
PS. You might want to check back soon for a giveaway…
