A match made in HEAVEN
SLEEP NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE: INTRODUCING THE MOST CRUCIAL COMPONENT OF YOUR PRE-WEDDING BEAUTY (AND SANITY SAVING) ROUTINE
Bright-eyed, quick-witted, ready to tackle whatever the day has to offer – we all know how good we feel after a particularly restful night’s sleep. But the importance of being well-rested becomes all the more acute when there’s a wedding on the horizon. When you sleep well, you experience improved heart function, hormonal balance and cell repair – all elements that contribute to you arriving at the altar feeling, and looking, your best. Still tempted to scroll through a few more Instagram feeds before lights out? Here are five reasons to swap the iPhone for an eye mask and brew yourself a chamomile, stat.
HEALTHY WEIGHT
Sleep and metabolism are controlled by the same sectors of the brain. It means that when you’re tired, certain hormone levels change in your blood, and those same hormones drive appetite. “You need between six and eight hours of sleep to balance the hormones that affect your hunger,” says personal trainer Kristy Robertson. “Ideally, try to go to bed and get up around the same time every day so your body gets into a healthy routine.” You can do all the hill sprints you want, but if your 3pm sugar monster still leads you to the office vending machine every afternoon, you might not be doing as much good as you think you are.
IMPROVED MEMORY
Between work, family and social commitments, your mental diary is probably already on the brink of overflow. Throw wedding planning into the mix, and your short-term memory is going to get the workout of its life. Studies have shown that while we sleep, our brains process our memories – decisions made, emails sent – from the day. If you don’t get enough sleep, those memories may be lost.
IMPROVED MOOD
Invitations going AWOL, bridesmaids who won’t stop arguing, men who go missing in action: weddings come with a whole set of potential problems waiting to hatch – problems that would turn even the sanest of women into the ultimate bridezilla. These predicaments probably won’t rear their heads on your big day. But given sleep’s ability to decrease the chance of mood swings (and assuming you want to keep your bridesmaids’ friendship beyond the big day) it might be worth depositing a few more hours into your sleep bank to be on the safe side.
IMPROVED IMMUNITY
Not keen on cramming a packet of cough lollies in with the lippy and pocket mirror in your big-day clutch? Best get to bed an hour earlier tonight, then. Thanks to first-hand experience, many of us have made the link between feeling rundown and getting sick soon after. But there’s research to back the theory too: in one study, researchers tracked over 150 people, monitored their sleep habits for two weeks, then exposed them to a cold virus. Those who got less than seven hours sleep or less a night were almost three times more likely to get sick as those who got at least eight hours.
SLEEP IS RESTORATIVE
Who doesn’t want that happy bridal glow on their big day? There’s only so much a primer, foundation and good highlighter can do – the rest comes from a body well rested. Sleep provides an opportunity for the body – and therefore the skin – to repair and rejuvenate. In fact, many of the major restorative functions in the body – like muscle growth, tissue repair, protein synthesis and growth hormone production – occur mostly (or in some cases only) during sleep. All the more reason to give yourself a lie-in tomorrow!
“You need between six and eight hours of sleep to balance the hormones that affect your hunger. Ideally, try to go to bed and get up around the same time every day so your body gets into a healthy routine.”
WHERE IT ALL STARTS
They say that in life, there are two things worth investing in: good shoes and a good bed – because if you’re not in one, you’re in the other. But how can you tell whether your splurge will really result in a great sleep? The search should start with a great bed – and equally great bedding to go with it.
The luxurious Sleepyhead Sanctuary range at Beds R Us features the world-leading Sensorzone Sleep System. Each spring sits inside its own independent zone within a Dreamfoam core. This delivers the best of both worlds: all the cushioning properties of solid foam with the strength, support and long life of a sprung mattress.
The Sleepyhead Swisstek range at Beds R Us has the most advanced pocket spring technology available, and provides exceptional support that moulds perfectly to every contour of your body. With seven dedicated posture zones, all Swisstek beds feature a silky soft knit fabric infused with the natural health benefits of Silverline and Bamboo.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU NEED TO REPLACE YOUR BED AND/OR MATTRESS?
If you regularly wake up feeling stiff and sore – or if you’re not sleeping as well as you did a year ago – it may be time to replace what you’re sleeping on. Mattresses should be replaced every nine to 10 years, though the average length of ownership for most of us is more than 10 years. If in doubt, ask for help – a Beds R Us sleep specialist can give you expert advice to match you to your perfect sleep.