What Today's Princess Can Learn from Sleeping Beauty
Experts typically recommend adults should get a solid 7-9 hours of sleep each night. If you are part of the 35% of Americans that simply are not getting your share of shut eye, that kind of sleep sounds like a dream. Maybe you've read the tips: dim the lights, take a warm bath, don't drink alcohol before bed. The sleep deprived have tried them all.. but so many times still left waking up tired and not feeling so "princess-like" in the morning. So take it from the expert, Sleeping Beauty! That girl knows how to sleep, so peaceful and calm, without a care in the world! So what did she know that we don't?
Hmm, maybe it's more like what do we have that she didn't? Let's face it, in today's world; she would not be sleeping in waiting for her prince to appear. Instead, she might be checking her phone every 5 minutes to see if he text her! Worse yet, she would be scrolling her social media pages while laying in bed. Taking a peek at Snow White's page to see what the Dwarfs were up to today or checking out Rapunzel's new hairdo!
Our Bedtime Hour Needs a Digital Detox!
Smartphones not only make it difficult to get to sleep but our quality of sleep is compromised as well. In a recent article by Cosmopolitan, they shared “When it’s time for sleep, our brains naturally secrete melatonin, which allows us to switch off, but consuming all this digital information prevents us from doing so. So that might be why you’ve found yourself tossing and turning for an hour or so before you can switch off at night.”
And if you simply can’t be without your phone for the night it’s at least time for Plan B. For iPhone users take advantage of Night Shift for iOS. Android users can download any of the many night filters available to help block the nasty exposure to short wavelength blue-light. This blue light is known to trick your brain into thinking it is still daylight. It can suppress the secretion of melatonin, so perhaps you can at least reduce the amount of tossing and turning before falling asleep. Of course stalking social media pages before falling asleep with a dimmer screen won’t necessarily save your quality of sleep.
If you really want to sleep like a princess, then disconnect from your digital world at least an hour before going to bed. And give your phone a time out for the evening, banning it from your bedside. Yes we know, you use it to wake you up in the morning right? Well simply invest in a $10 alarm clock, and you will invest in a happier more energetic you!
Cheers and Happy Dreaming,
Disclaimer: The material on this blog is for informational purposes only. This is general information and is not a substitute for your own doctor’s or esthetician's care or advice.
