As I get older, I find it harder and harder to hide my tired baggy eyes. 
I have used everything from top of the line creams, to miracle concealers and they still manage to rear their ugly heads whenever I get less that 6 hours of sleep. I know I am not alone, many of us suffer from dark circles, redness, puffy areas and increasing wrinkles, so I decided to take things into my own hands and find out what the best practices were when it came to giving my body the rest it needs and deserves.
Juggling family, work and home can be overwhelming, and running on fumes when it comes to not getting enough sleep can literally be exhausting! 
I will admit, I have always been jealous of those women who have perfected the art of multitasking. I once had a friend who worked at a distribution plant who could stay up until two or three o’clock in the morning, get ready for work at five a.m., have the kids fed and at school on time, and still be in a great mood whenever I saw her. While me on the other hand, felt like I was living the rebel life if I found myself staying up until eleven p.m. on a weeknight and sending my daughter off to the bus with a cold pop tart in hand!
Regardless of your natural sleeping habits, understanding the right amount of sleep your body needs to maintain a healthy energy level is very important when it comes to preserving your youth, avoiding early eye bags and slowing down the aging process. While you may enjoy late nights out on the town more often than others, chances are you are also speeding up those crows feet around your eyes.
A Healthy Sleepy Cycle
Many studies show that the average individual over 40 needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep per day to ensure their body has the rest it needs. In addition to finding the right amount of sleep, matching your personal sleep cycle to avoid waking up at intervals that interrupt your REM (rapid eye movement) cycle is also important. Have you ever wondered why getting 7 hours of sleep makes you feel great, but if you sleep more and try to squeeze in 8 hours you have a hard time waking up for the day? 
That’s because your body has a natural cycle that you need to tune into to maximize your hours of sleep. Here is a great article that goes into detail around your natural sleep cycles.
Benefits of Proper Sleep
Because I am more interested in the “what’s in it for me” factor, finding out why sleep is important was a driving force when I started my investigation. So what is all this hype about making sure I get enough rest on a daily basis? Here are a few of the best reasons I could find to hit that snooze button.
- Live Longer – The pinnacle of anti-aging is to slow down the natural process of your body deteriorating. It is reported that individual who get adequate sleep on a regular basis tend to live a longer and healthier life.
- Curb Inflammation – As I get older, I often times feel the seasons in my bones, and by getting the right amount of sleep, some studies suggest you can help to alleviate your aching bones.
- Mental Sharpness – growing old and looking great is all fine and dandy, but if you are not sharp enough to remember, enjoy and participate, then getting the right amount of sleep may help you enhance and reflect on your past experiences.
- Burn Calories – who doesn’t love the idea of burning calories for free? Did you know that you actually burn calories when you sleep? I am not saying you should skip the gym and take a nap, but knowing you are also shedding a few calories while in dreamland should be a pretty good incentive to hitting the hay a bit earlier.
Everyone wants to find the fountain of youth, and with the on-going demand of high energy lifestyles, it is no wonder more and more people are finding it hard to get the sleep they need, much less the sleep they require to maintain their health. 
So next time you are thinking about lighting that candle on the other end, instead reach for the snooze button and give yourself a little rest and relaxation.
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