You & Your Inner Supermodel Need Your Beauty

Originally posted at The Daily Love

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Hi Daily Lovers,

Thank you for reading, commenting, posting, and liking my first-ever blog, Mastering Your Dream Body & Life! Check it out in case you missed it. Even for the few of you who commented less than positively, I completely respect your opinions and understand your hesitation. After all, my industry isn’t exactly known for being healthy. I want to assure you, however, that my message is about health, happiness, and all the things that The Daily Love stands for. There is positive and negative in anything, and my mission is to focus on the positive and all the things I can offer the world based on this attitude and perspective. Model Skinny will give you the skinny–the healthy secrets I love and live by–to finding your inner Supermodel!

But speaking of staying positive, let me tell you a little lesson I’ve already learned from this whole blogging experience.

When I found out the blog would post the next morning, I got crazy anxious. I was scared, excited, nervous and all the normal things that go along with typical “firsts”.  The downside was that I didn’t sleep as well, which is a total model no-no. When your job is based on your looks, beauty sleep takes on a whole new meaning (this is a huge reason why Sleep is one of the 5 keys to Model Skinny that I told you about in the first blog).

So there I was, exhausted and nervous and feeling obsessed because I was so tired. I had a fashion show on the day the blog posted, and suddenly I turned into the very nightmare diva model you might expect me to be. I didn’t want to listen to anyone, I didn’t want to sit still for hair and makeup or stand while the seamstress tailored my skirt. All I cared about was the blog; all I thought about was the blog.  I wanted people to resonate with my message. And I was excited to share and be a part of The Daily Love. What would happen? Would I do it correctly? Would my words help people?

But at the same time, I knew I’d neglected the second Key: Sleep. So I was able to catch myself and stop myself from going too far down that road. When I heard there were some negative comments being posted, I had to take an extra effort to recognize that criticism is a part of my job, and as a model, I am constantly scrutinized and judged. Yet because I didn’t get enough sleep, I was not at the top of my game, which made staying positive harder, but also showed me the power of the keys.  I realized that no matter how much practice you have at staying balanced, it’s still something you have to work on and it’s easier when you get enough sleep.

So I want to talk a little bit about sleep. Sleep is essential to our well-being and functioning, and most people don’t get enough. We all need at least 7 1/2 hours according to the National Sleep Foundation, but the average woman only gets six. And being well rested is directly related to finding your inner Supermodel. Studies shows that people tend to weigh more if they sleep less. Researchers at Columbia University found that people who slept six hours per night were 23% more likely to be obese than people who slept between seven and nine hours.

And according to sleep expert Michael Breus, M.D., sleep-deprived women are high in ghrelin — the hormone that stimulates hunger — and low in leptin — the hormone that says you’re full and can stop eating. Plus, not only do you want more food when you’re sleep-deprived, you also wantjunkier food: your body craves simple carbohydrates (chocolate, pastries, candy) that it can break down fast for quick energy.

Not getting enough sleep can throw off your attempts to stay balanced in all the other Keys, too—it makes you feel more stressed (Key 3), it messes with your appetite, so you aren’t balanced in your eating  (Key 4), and it saps your energy so you’re less inclined to exercise (Key 5).

These are all reasons why sleep is a priority for models. I’m not suggesting that all models are necessarily choosing to sleep more for all these reasons. Some might only know that if they don’t sleep, they won’t look good for that morning photo shoot. God forbid a model would have dark circles under her eyes! But ‘beauty sleep’ is not just a catchy little phrase; it’s a scientifically proven principle and one that models live by. Lack of sleep really does show up on your face. You might have more fine lines and wrinkles, less radiant skin, dark circles under your eyes, more frown lines and tension lines, an uneven complexion, not to mention an expression that looks dull and uninvolved in life. When you sleep, your skin is rejuvenated. New skin cells replace old dead skin, resulting in a fresher looking face (the kind not just models but every girl wants!).

Obviously, we all need energy and mental control to make good choices in life. So what if your job isn’t based on your looks? That doesn’t mean that you want under-eye circles, low energy, a rampant appetite, wrinkles or added stress. We all want to look good, feel good, and be our best. And we all can and should. But we need to get enough sleep!

So in that spirit, I want to close with 3 tips on Zzz’s and how to get the most out of yours:

1. PrioritiZe  Your Zzz’s: It’s important. Make it a priority. Aim for 8 hours of sleep a night.  That late night movie, night on the town, late night sex, etc. , will be a lot more fun when you’re actually awake.
2. RitualiZe Your Zzz’s: Routines are habits. And habits control our lives. When you routinize your pre-sleep habits, by lowering the light at night to induce melatonin (the sleep hormone) or by taking a bath or whatever suits you, a sound night’s sleep becomes a habit. Ritualize it and pretty soon you’ll be sleeping like a baby.
3. AccessoriZe Your Zzz’s: I’m a fashion model, so naturally we have to talk about accessories! Sleep masks, relaxing essential oils, good pillows, and even ear plugs can all enhance your sleep experience. Find out what works for you, then use them without apology.

Because you and your inner Supermodel need your beauty sleep!

with Eve Adamson, NY Times Bestselling Author. Her website: http://www.eveadamson.com/