20 million people in Britain do not get enough sleep—with the majority of those affected being men. While the concept of beauty sleep or rest may often be associated with women, it is important to men’s self-care as well, especially when they are the ones sleeping less on average. A lack of sleep affects mood, focus, productivity and can even worsen skin and digestive issues. We groom our beards, workout our muscles and with the following tips we can relax our minds with restful sleep.
Avoid using electronics late at night
While it may be tempting to scroll through your phone in bed as you are ready to fall asleep, the effects are actually detrimental to your mind and overall rest state. You may still fall asleep, but studies have shown that too much time on electronics before bed not only affects your sleeping pattern but also the quality of your sleep. Electronics stimulate our nervous system making it impossible to fall asleep as deeply. So the next time you think checking your work emails or sending a friend a funny picture is worth it at 11pm, consider the impact it will have on your sleep and subsequently your mood the next day.
Use herbs and essential oils to induce sleep
Sometimes falling asleep itself is not as easy as it should be. A stressful day, looming deadlines or general anxiety can easily keep us up at night. Just as there are stimulating drinks, there are also calming ones, like herbal teas. Some of the best options to encourage a state of calmness that invites deep sleep are chamomile, lemon balm and holy basil. And just as we use oils to keep our beards looking their best, you can also use essential oils to keep your sleep schedule on track. Lavender, vetiver and valerian are all fantastic options that will calm both our minds and bodies, promoting sound sleep.
Take it easy on caffeine and sugar
Caffeine can have its time and place, but it should be consumed moderately and not past the afternoon hours if you want to fall asleep easily. This is especially true for those with insomnia. The energy spikes, stimulation and focus of caffeine may be great and welcome when working on a deadline, but those are all things you want to avoid during the night. To avoid racing thoughts and even anxiety while lying wide awake in bed, set a cut off time for caffeine and aim to significantly cut down the consumption of sugar in the evening as well as blood sugar spikes can also keep you up.
Beauty sleep or rest is really about self-care at its core. And men need it just as much as women—if not more. We spend time, money and energy on our beards and body, and so we should be able to prioritize our minds, too. By turning off electronics, incorporating herbal teas and essential oils into our routine and cutting back on caffeine and sugar, we become that much closer to a morning in which we feel rested, energized and ready to take on the day. In addition, according to this reliable dentist in Oxnard, too much caffeine and sugar are also detrimental to your oral health as they weaken your teeth’s enamel, making them susceptible to damage and decay.