Sleep quality determines daytime performance and beauty

Are you worried that you can’t get rid of your fatigue even though you’ve had plenty of sleep? or that you can’t wake up refreshed in the morning? What is essential for our health, daytime performance, and beautiful skin is not only the duration'' but also the quality’’ of sleep. In particular, how deep the first 90 minutes after falling asleep (non-REM sleep) is extremely important for recovery from fatigue and secretion of growth hormone.

The biggest factors that reduce the quality of sleep are the use of digital devices right before bedtime and disturbances in the autonomic nervous system (sympathetic nerves dominate) due to stress. In order to get a good night’s sleep, it is effective to establish a ritual before falling asleep, or a night routine,'' that smoothly switches your brain and body from active mode’’ to ``sleep mode.''

Recommended night routine for the best sleep

We will introduce a specific nighttime routine to relax your mind and body and help you fall asleep smoothly.

1. Control your core body temperature by taking a bath 90 minutes before bedtime People feel extremely sleepy when their internal body temperature (core body temperature) drops. Ideally, take a bath about 90 minutes before bed to take advantage of this mechanism. By slowly soaking in lukewarm water at 38 to 40 degrees Celsius for about 15 minutes, your core body temperature will rise, and then after you get out of the bath, your body temperature will gradually drop and you will feel sleepy.

2. Put down your smartphone and block out light and sound Stop looking at your smartphone or computer screen an hour before bed. Blue light wakes up the brain and suppresses the secretion of the sleep hormone melatonin. Dim the lighting in the room, such as orange indirect lighting, and turn off the TV to create an environment that alerts your brain that night has come.

3. Relaxation time to calm your mind Instead of using your smartphone, take time to take a breather by burning your favorite scented aroma or drinking warm decaffeinated herbal tea (such as chamomile). It is also effective to do some light stretching in bed to relieve muscle tension. By doing something like ``gratitude work’’ where you think of three good things that happened that day and ending the day on a positive note, your brain will relax and you will fall into a deep sleep.