Vivid childhood memories come to mind when asked about my sleeping habits. I’ve always been a poor sleeper — Coming out of bed multiple times a night as a kid and driving my parents to their wit’s end trying to help me find solutions to fall asleep and stay asleep. Adulthood warrants just as many sleepless nights, with stressors from work, relationships, friendships, health, and finances on a continuous loop the second my head hits the pillow. How do I rejuvenate after a sleepless night?
Hydration, de-puffing, and my lazy girl beauty and style hacks. Below you’ll find a few of my favorite ways to rejuvenate after a sleepless night, and make it to the finish line when I can finally take a nap.
Immediately Upon Waking
Shot of Apple cider vinegar. Nothing gives me an energy kick like apple cider vinegar! I know a select few who find it makes them sleepy, but if I take this in the afternoon I won’t sleep at all that night. It jumpstarts your metabolism and helps you detox a bit in the morning so it’s great to take first thing before eating any food!
Clinique de-puffing caffeinated eye roll-on. I keep this bad boy in the fridge and use it every morning it feels amazing when it’s cold, and really helps me de-puff my eyes after a sleepless night.
Cool face mask. I like to set my alarm for 20 minutes before I need to be out of bed, so I have time to go grab my cold face mask from the refrigerator and drift back to sleep for a bit. It cover my forehead to cheeks when I strap it around my face, and really makes waking up much easier.
Stretching or yoga. A quick 10-15 minute stretch or yoga session will get energy flowing through your body and keep you from feeling like you were just thrown into the day. I love the flows from Boho Beautiful on YouTube since she has plenty that are under 20 minutes.
Getting Ready
Eat a protein-packed breakfast. My go-to breakfast (before I found out about my gluten sensitivity) was a Kodiak Cake pancake and a fried egg. I like the superfood mix, adding a little cinnamon and coconut sugar for better flavor and topping it will almond butter. I make a few pancakes at the start of each week in case I’m running out the door one morning, and like to top it with some almond butter.
Drink a glass of coconut water. I still don’t LOVE the taste of coconut water (trust me, I’ve been trying for years) but will drink a glass of it after a long night. Since it’s so hydrating, I always feel much less foggy in my mind after drinking it and find that it keeps my skin feeling less inflamed as well.
Keep makeup simple. After a long night, I’ll use a brightening concealer under my eyes and later that stuff on! I’ll also use a full-coverage foundation like Benefit Hello Flawless! or Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer (1/2 shade darker than my skin tone) to even everything out quickly and keep my skin from feeling dry. Dab Benetint on the apples of your cheeks for some color and skip your bottom mascara for the day.
Low bun or peppy pony. If I have an event later that night, I’ll keep my hair in a low bun so it has a little wave and volume. If I’m running on second or third day hair, I’ll pull my hair back into a peppy pony.
Black on black on black. When I don’t want to think about what to wear to work, I opt for a pair of black denim jeans, a black top tucked in with a statement belt, a black cardigan, and black mules or flats. Accessorize with dainty jewelry for a polished and simple look.
En Route to Work
Listen to some pump up music. My favorite morning playlist is "Have a Great Day" on Spotify. It has a great mix of old classics and sing-along songs perfect for a car karaoke session. I love some good EDM, but need something softer so I can still get hype without offending my eardrums so early.
Drink green juice. My favorite energy booster is any green juice from Whole Foods, especially a juice that has spinach and/or ginger. Packed with nutrients, green juice will make your skin glow, give you an energy boost, and help aid your digestion throughout the day.
Practice breathing. I like to use the breathe app on my Apple Watch, but another great way to get in the zone and set intentions for the day is to count your breaths up to 30. I've also been using Headspace lately and I'm enjoying it like CRAZY! You can even connect with friends and compare progress.
And if all else fails...
I'll head to the Starbucks on 5th & Lamar, order a grande iced coffee in a venti cup with extra coconut milk and ice, regrettably eat a chocolate croissant, and pray that I can make it through the day. Nobody's perfect, right?
Long nights will lead to even longer days, but these tips will make your morning run so much more smoothly — You’ll look fresh, hydration will help you stay clear-minded, and that protein-packed breakfast will give you an energy kick to make it through the start of your day.