Sleep is far more important than you think, and without enough good-quality sleep, you may find yourself feeing irritable, depressed, anxious, frustrated, forgetful or overly stressed. And that’s just the beginning..
Gwyneth Paltrow, who famously champions a healthy lifestyle, emphasises on clean sleeping – at least seven or eight hours of good sleep, and ideally, even up to 10 hours.
She explains that her nutrition expert Dr. Frank Lipman details that poor-quality sleep is unsettling for the metabolism and hormones, which can lead to bad moods, weight gain, impaired memory, brain fog and other serious health concerns such as reduced immunity.
In addition, good sleep is imperative for one to age gracefully as the body repairs and detoxifies itself overnight, especially for women who are going through menopause. Think glowy skin, hair and nails that grow rapidly, and a slender waist as a result!
So, what are some of the ways to get the better rest you deserve? Here’s what Paltrow suggests..
1. Yoga nidra (psychic sleep) – a form of meditation whereby a calm voice talks you through a meditation process for restorative benefits that help with relaxing.
2. No bedtime snacks – Resist eating at midnight to prevent your digestive system from disrupting your sleep. Allow the body to cleanse overnight by keeping a 12-hour fasting window to allow the body to digest and get into deep detox mode.
3. Trigger point head rub – Massage trigger points on the back of the head before bed to stimulate circulation, disperse toxins, and speed the flow of oxygenated blood. These trigger points are located four to five fingers from the back of the ear toward the hairline at the base of the skull.
4. Foot massage – Before you turn off the lights, give your feet a good three-minute massage with a moisturising cream to relieve mental tension for restful sleep.
5. Get a copper pillow – Yes, metal-infused pillowcases exist and they help with the boosting of elastin and collagen in the skin to prevent and reduce wrinkles. Who says you can’t get health benefits while you toss and turn?
For the full writeup by Paltrow on Daily Mail, access here.
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