Late Nights

It happens to the best of us- we get caught up in the craziness of life, and end up spending too many late nights burning the candle. I have been there- getting up, going to work all day before heading to the gym, which is followed up by going out and having some drinks with friends (often skipping dinner), and then finally arriving home after midnight to crash for a few hours sleep before doing it all again. Sound familiar? Whilst getting into this self-destructive behaviour might start to become routine and to feel normal, it is actually doing damage to your body, mind and soul.

The fact is, we need sleep. It isn't known as beauty sleep for no reason! When we sleep, it gives our body time to recharge, for your body to heal and repair, for your brain to rest and work through what has happened in the day and to re-set. Sleep is when your body works on your immune system to keep you strong, and is when your growth hormones go into overdrive. It is when your skin repairs and nails and hair grow healthy and strong. It also helps with our memory and our hormones which in turn control our emotions. You need to sleep to rejuvenate and revive- think about how crappy you feel when you don't get enough sleep! Think about how difficult it is to focus at work when you haven't rested your brain- this is because your brain has become fatigued from the sleep deprivation and it can affect the way you perform even the easiest tasks.

The long-term damage of lack of sleep from too many late nights is not yet fully understood by scientists, but the effects you feel when you do push yourself too much are a pretty clear indication of what you are doing to yourself short-term. The constant state of tiredness, the inability to think clearly, the mood swings and uncontrollable emotions along with the pent-up stress.

While it might be fun to work hard and party harder, it is important to also recognise that you are not being the best version of yourself- both in terms of your mood and capacity to work, as well as in terms of your appearance and overall health. Designate one late-party night per week- preferably on the weekend- and give yourself the time your body needs for all-important beauty sleep.