4 Ways Lack Of Sleep Can Ruin Your Wedding Day & 7 Tips To Make Sure It Doesn’t

Let’s face it, we all take our sleep for granted. Whether it’s one more hour of watching Netflix or finishing off that housekeeping you’d been putting off all week – no matter what’s going on in your life, we always think we can cheat a few hours here and there.
But, when you’ve got the pressures of your wedding day hovering over you, there’s no cutting corners when it comes to getting a proper rest. According to sleep expert Neurologist Dr Guy Leschziner, the effects of missing a night’s sleep is severely underrated, and actually has more serious implications than people think. He stresses that lack of sleep has “important consequences on fatigue, vigilance, mood, learning and memory, as well as motor coordination”.
If you’re planning a wedding, and your big day is looming closer and closer – you’re bound to feel on edge with anticipation, excitement and anxiety. But, you don’t want these emotions to start affecting you in ways that could detriment what’s supposed to be the best day of your life.

In addition to the more serious implications of sleep deprivation as mentioned by Dr Leschziner, here are other ways in which a lack of sleep can affect a couple who are getting married:

1. Temperamental skin
Disruption of sleep can often cause your skin to become overworked. It completely depends on the person what way their skin reacts, but common effects can be: dark undereye circles, heaviness/puffiness around the eyes, excess oil, dryness or breakouts.
2. Change in weight
If you don’t sleep, your body doesn’t get the chance to do any of its necessary digesting while you’re meant to be in sleep mode. Apparently, the more sleep-deprived you are, the higher your stress hormone levels are, which increases your appetite.
3. Stress problems
Stress can lead to irritability, which can cause relationship problems with not just your partner, but your family members and friends who are helping you with the wedding planning. The one thing you don’t want to lose sight of is what your wedding is all about: a day to be happy while being surrounded by your loved ones.
4. Decision making
If you’re not sleeping properly, your inability to think clearly can cause for you to waste time, money and eventually lead to unwanted worries which may cause you to sleep even less. If you get a decent amount of sleep (7-9 hours are recommended) you should feel happier and more assured in your choices.

Therefore, in order to avoid these problematic knock-on effects, Dr Leschziner advises that to ensure a good night’s sleep, you should:

1. Keep your bed for sleeping. Don’t work, use a computer or watch TV in bed.
2. Avoid exposure to bright light in the evenings – this can confuse your brain’s signal that it is time to go to sleep.
3. Avoid caffeine after mid-afternoon.
4. Exercise in the day, not directly before you go to bed.
5. Avoid large carbohydrate-rich meals before bedtime – this can cause fluctuations in blood sugar levels at night.
6. Avoid excess alcohol – this can disrupt your sleep directly, cause bladder distension and worsen sleep apnoea.
7. Try to keep your hours of sleep regular.

If you take Dr Leschziner’s advice, you should notice a reduction in all these troublesome symptoms. If you ever feel like your wedding planning is becoming too much – perhaps rejig your schedule to ensure you’re getting your hours in. You, everyone else, and your big day, will all benefit from it.
By Amy Pollock, Excalibur Press

SUMMER 2017 EDITION AVAILABLE TO BUY ONLINE NOW