At the weekend, the clocks went back and we all gained an extra hour. But what did you do with yours?

With many of us living such busy lifestyles, you can probably think of better things to do with your time than sleep.

But it’s paramount that you get a good night’s sleep in order for your skin and health to reap the benefits.

A good night’s sleep is nature’s most powerful beauty treatment. Not only do the optimal seven to nine hours a night leave you looking luminous, but also many beauty products are most effective overnight because they penetrate better when you are sleeping.

Benefits of a full nights sleep

If you don’t get enough sleep, this will dramatically affect the appearance of your skin. The purpose of sleep has been studied by scientists for decades and although not everything is known about what happens to our skin at night, we know that sleep is an important time for our skin to rejuvenate and repair itself. In fact, research shows that skin cell regeneration almost doubles at night, peaking between 11pm and 4am.

Sleep deprivation can also have a detrimental effect on our health and research has shown that it increases our stress level – further limiting our sleep.

When we don’t get enough sleep our mood can also be highly effected, and studies have shown that lack of sleep can increase your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and poor brain function.

Here are some top tips from the staff at Zen Lifestyle for a more beautiful night’s rest:

Make sure you get around 8 hours of sleep every night, go for a relaxing warm bath before you go to bed, never skip your daily skin ritual – always cleanse, tone and moisturise your skin with our recommended products.

You could also try having a cup of peppermint tea before bed as studies show it not only helps with sleep deprivation but helps stomach cramp, heart burn and aids digestion. Tea Pigs use only the use the whole leaves which makes it taste great and for only £4.25 you can pick up a box at any of our three salons.

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Have you ever wondered what products are suitable for your skin to get the best results? For a really in-depth assessment of your current skin condition we use state-of-the-art Visia Complexion Analysis. This is the latest technology from the US which allows us to scan and map exactly what’s happening above and below your skin’s surface. Using this information and the series of photographic scans which the consultation produces, you will be able to make informed decisions about the right skin care regime for your skin and we can advise you on the most effective treatments and programmes to achieve the results you want.

A Visia Skin Analysis takes about 20-30 minutes and costs £35, although this is fully redeemable against any purchases of skin care products on the same day (Minimum purchase value £70).

We also offer this treatment complementary if you are booking a  facial.

 To find out how Zen Lifestyle can help you choose the right skincare for your skin, call us on 0131 226 6777 or you can contact us on Facebook and Twitter.