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SLEEP MATTERSTHE A TO ZZZZZZs OF SLEEP

SLEEP DOESN’T GET A LOT of space in fashion magazines—you never read about celebrities’ sleep habits. That’s okay, but what you’ve got to know is that sleep is really important to your health and beauty. In fact, each of us sleeps about one-third of our lives! It’s more important than beauty products and makeup will ever be. You know that if you don’t get a good night’s sleep, you simply won’t function well the next day. And if that doesn’t convince you to turn in early, you stand the chance of getting dark circles under your eyes, your skin may lose its glow, or a pimple could pop up. In this chapter, we’ll shed some light on what happens during those nighttime hours so you can really appreciate the magic of sleep.

What Is Sleep?

THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF Sleep: REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (nonrapid eye movement).

⇛REM gets its name from the way the eyes dart back and forth while you are in this phase of sleep. It happens about ninety minutes after you fall asleep. REM is when most of your dreaming takes place and is when the brain is most active. See how much is happening while you slumber under the covers?

⇛NREM takes up about 75 percent of your sleep time. It’s the time when your blood pressure drops and your breathing becomes slower. Everything from your energy to your muscle tissue is restored during this process.

SLEEP AIDS

Trying to fall asleep can sometimes create stress for all of us. Here are a few things that can help with the process:

• Have an active day. Physical activity helps reduce stress and helps people feel more relaxed. Keep in mind that too much activity too close to bedtime can act as a stimulant. Start winding down a few hours before you go to sleep.

• Sleep in a tech-free zone. Shut everything down—that means OFF—when you go to sleep. No waiting up all night for that IM or text. It will be there in the morning.

• Same time, same place. No falling asleep on the couch, then waking up and not being able to fall back to sleep. Go to sleep in your bedroom at the same time every night, and that way your body will begin to expect that sleep is coming on.

Why You Need Sleep

A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK that when they are sleeping they aren’t doing anything. That’s so not true! Sleep time is one of the most important parts of your twenty-four-hour cycle. Your muscles might be relaxed, but your brain is still working. Think about all those dreams you have! While you are snoozing, your muscles are repairing themselves. Hormones that control growth and appetite are also released. A good night’s sleep is the setup for a great day.

How Much Sleep You Need

BABIES NEED THE MOST SLEEP—up to eighteen hours a day! Older kids should aim for nine to eleven hours a night. So when your mom calls you lazy for lounging in bed, tell her you’re getting the recommended daily dosage of sleep.

Sleep Schedule

YOU MIGHT BE A NIGHT owl, an early bird, or something in between. Whatever your natural rhythm, having a regular time you wake up in the morning helps keep your brain and body in the right sleep-wake cycle. It’s easier to fall asleep at night, and stay asleep, if you rise on schedule. It’s actually good to stay on the same sleep schedule on the weekends as you do during the week, even though you could sleep later. To ease into sleep at night, forget about counting sheep. Come up with a nice, relaxing routine before you hit the hay. It can include anything from taking a bath to meditating to reading a book or listening to soft music. Just avoid anything that stresses you out or gets your brain buzzing—like IMing or television.

DREAM CATCHER

DREAMS ARE VERY MYSTERIOUS ways our minds continue to work while we’re asleep. Dreams give us time to review the events of a busy day and even help us figure out any problems that might be bothering us. Have you ever heard someone say, “I’ll sleep on it” or “I’ll think about it in the morning”? What they are really saying is that they need time to think about something, and some of that thinking takes place while they are asleep, too. Try it! If something is bothering you one day, decide that you will work on it while you are asleep. Chances are you will wake up feeling much better about the problem, and you might even have found the solution.

For thousands of years people have tried to make sense of what objects or events mean in their dreams. There is a whole science of dream interpretation. It’s fun to read some of these dream books, but keep in mind that these are just guidelines to get you thinking about what a particular dream means to you. The same exact dream may also mean different things to you at different times.

Dreams are usually pleasant and fun, but they can also be about things you’re afraid of. If you happen to have a nightmare, it’s always a good idea to talk about it with a parent or someone you trust. That seems to make things a little better. 

Even though dreams race through our heads for about two hours at night, we don’t always remember them. Even a very detailed dream will fly out of our heads the second we wake up.

A good way to remember your dreams is to keep a dream journal and write down everything you remember as soon as you wake up. All it takes is a notebook and pen that you keep near your bed. 

Soon you’ll find your book filled with colorful and exciting dreams that will be fun to go back and read. 

Dreams are a great outlet to help us see how creative our minds can be. Who knows? Your dreams might lead you to write an exciting adventure story or even a fantasy novel.

TO NAP OR NOT TO NAP?

IF YOU DON’T GET ENOUGH sleep, it’s bad news. You can be cranky, have trouble making decisions, or find it hard to concentrate in school. You may also lack energy to play sports or hang out with friends. Sometimes it’s hard to get to bed on time with your busy schedule. That’s why the nap was invented! While naps don’t make up for a good night’s sleep, they can help make sure you don’t get too overtired. That’s right, naps aren’t just for babies.

Researchers have discovered that naps can boost creativity and alertness in the later hours of the afternoon, when you start to feel sluggish. In studies, a nap of sixty minutes has been shown to improve alertness for ten hours! But you don’t have to take an hour-long nap. Even a ten-minute snooze during the day can help improve your mood.

The best time to nap depends on whether you are an early bird or a night owl. If your natural rhythm is to get up around six a.m. and turn in before ten p.m., then the best time for you to nap is around one p.m. If you like to sleep until eight a.m. or later and would love to go to bed around midnight if your parents let you, then two thirty p.m. is your nap time. However, it’s likely you’ll be in school at these hours; these suggested times are for weekends or vacations.

Find a quiet, dark place where you can relax. Breathe in and out slowly to calm your body. Think about relaxing your muscles one body part at a time. Now relax your mind by thinking about a peaceful place such as the beach, the woods, or anywhere that makes you happy. You’ll be asleep in no time.

While researchers studied sixty-minute naps, you should not sleep for more than forty-five minutes. Otherwise you will wake up groggy, a feeling that can last up to half an hour.

WHAT A SNORE

SNORING CAN BE EMBARRASSING— especially when it keeps your friends up during a sleepover. It’s a common problem, about ninety million Americans are affected by noisy breathing during sleep. The snorting sounds of snoring may be funny, but it’s serious when it disrupts a good night’s sleep, for you or others. 

The best way to prevent snoring is sleeping on your side with a pillow elevating your head. Talk to your parents about using nasal strips that you can buy in a pharmacy. And dentists can prescribe dental appliances that ease the airway if your snoring is really a problem.

NIGHTTIME 911

SOME PEOPLE ARE GREAT SLEEPERS. Some aren’t. That’s just a fact of life. If you’re having trouble falling asleep or staying that way through the night, there might be a simple reason for whatever’s keeping you up at night. Here are a few common sources of sleep problems and simple solutions.

Problem: Eating too close to bedtime. Eating right before bed will often make you uncomfortable.

Solution: Finish your last meal at least three hours before you go to sleep. Snacks count too! You should get in the habit of not eating anything in those last hours before you doze off. 
Problem: Liquids too close to bedtime. If you gulp down a gallon of water before you go to bed, you’ll definitely wake up needing to go to the bathroom.

Solution: It’s great to hydrate with a glass of water before you hit the hay. Just don’t drink like you’re about to embark on a five-mile hike! If you avoid spicy or salty food at dinner, you’ll be less thirsty in the evening.

Problem: Exercising too close to bedtime. Regular exercise is a great way to ensure a good night’s sleep. However, exercising or playing sports makes your body temperature rise, and it can take up to six hours for you to cool down!

Solution: Finish any strenuous physical activity at least six hours before bed. The late afternoon is the best time to be active, as exercise will contribute to a sound sleep.

SLEEP ON IT

THIS  IS ABOUT HELPING your unique beauty shine through so you feel amazing and so others can see how truly incredible you are. As you can see from this chapter, the time you spend sleeping is just as important as the time you spend wide awake. So every night, get into your favorite pj’s or nightgown and . . . sweet dreams!