And on a more superficial note, sleep deprivation can wreak havoc on your looks, causing dark circles or bags under your eyes, make your skin break-out, and give you an overall listless, washed out look that you don’t need any day, let alone on your wedding day!

The good news is, there are many natural techniques you can learn to get the beauty rest you need, whether you have difficulty falling asleep, waking up too often, or still feel tired when you wake up in the morning.

Create a Peaceful Sleep Sanctuary

1. Make your bedroom as dark as possible. Even the tiniest bit of light in the room can disrupt your internal clock.  Close your bedroom door, pull down the shades, get rid of night-lights, cover up your glow-in-the-dark alarm clock. Don’t turn on any light at all during the night, even when getting up to go to the bathroom. Wearing an eye mask may help.
2. Keep your room cool. Many people keep their bedrooms too warm, but the temperature should be no higher than 70 degrees F. Studies show that the optimal room temperature for sleep is quite cool, between 60 to 68 degrees. If you are too hot or cold, it can lead to restless sleep.
3. Your bed is for sleeping. If you are used to watching TV or doing work in bed, you may find it harder to relax and drift off to sleep, so avoid doing these activities in bed.
4. Sleep alone. Recent studies suggest that sharing a bed with a partner (or pets) can significantly impair sleep, especially if your bed mate is a restless sleeper or snores. If this is the case, you may want to consider a separate bedroom.

Preparing for Bed

1. Get to bed as early as possible. Your body does a majority of its recharging between the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. In addition, your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you are awake, the toxins back up into your liver, which can further disrupt your health.
2. Don’t change your bedtime. You should go to bed and wake up at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This will help your body to get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning.
3. Relax. Make time for a relaxing bedtime routine, which could include meditation, deep breathing, relaxation CD’s, using aromatherapy or essential oils or indulging in a massage from your partner. The key is to find something  to help you release the tensions of the day.
4. Eliminate the bathroom problem. Don’t drink any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed, and go to the bathroom right before bed. This will reduce the chances that you’ll wake up to go in the middle of the night.
5. Eat the right foods before bedtime. Several hours before bed eat a high-protein snack, which will aid in melatonin and serotonin production. Avoid caffeine and alcohol. But don’t eat anything right before bed, particularly grains and sugars. If you do have something, snack on a small piece of fruit.
6. Take a hot bath, shower or sauna before bed. When your body temperature is raised in the late evening, and then falls at bedtime, it facilitates slumber. The temperature drop signals your body it’s time for bed.
7. Put your work away at least one hour before bed. This includes seating charts and those DIY centerpieces! You need to give your mind a chance to unwind so you can go to sleep feeling calm, not hyped up or anxious about tomorrow’s deadlines.
8. No TV or suspense novels right before bed. Anything that’s too stimulating to the brain will prevent you from falling asleep quickly. TV disrupts your pineal gland function. Instead, try reading something spiritual or uplifting, which may help you relax.
9. Keep a Journal. If you find yourself in bed with your mind racing, it might be helpful keep a journal and write down your thoughts before bed. Getting things out of your system will help you fall asleep.
10. Exercise regularly. Exercising for at least 30 minutes a day can improve your sleep. But don’t exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake. Morning exercise is the best if you can manage it.

For more advice, information, and further reading on the tips mentioned above, please read 33 Secrets to a Good Night’s Sleep by Dr. Mercola

Here are some of their secret weapons to help you get sexy for the season!

Plan toward your Goal

Chris Gaines of Equinox Fitness in Palo Alto, California offers these key steps:

1. Set a goal: Get specific about what your goals are, write them down and make a firm commitment to achieve them. (For example: Loose 10 lbs in the next 6 weeks)
2. Set a plan: By creating “stepping stones” or short-term goals, we give ourselves the opportunity to celebrate minor victories, which help us stay motivated. (For example: I will aim for 1.5-2 lbs a week.)
3. Practice time management: It is critical that we set aside the appropriate amount of time in each day to accomplish daily goals and schedule it in like an appointment with the same urgency and priority as a dress fitting. (For example: I will go running in the morning twice a week, work out at the gym 3 afternoons a week, and go swimming twice a week.)
4. Reward yourself: Set specific rewards for your accomplishments, such as spa treatments or favorite treats, when you achieve a short term goal. This way you will have incentives to look forward to. (for example: After every 2 lbs lost I will celebrate with a girl’s night out at the movies!)

Don’t Starve– Diet Smart

“Every bride wants to look her very best on her wedding day, but when they pursue drastic weight loss at any price they traditionally end up walking down the aisle with lackluster energy and a haggard look,” says Oz Garcia, PhD. “The best diet is eating frequent healthy small meals and snacks throughout the day consisting of fruits and vegetables of every color, fish and lean protein.”

If you omit carbs completely, you will lose weight initially because carbohydrates make you retain water. However, a carbs-free diet often backfires because it increases your desire for carbohydrate-rich food and it’s quite hard to stay on track. Instead, Oz Garcia advises that you replace breads, pasta and potatoes with one small serving a day of basmati rice, millet, squash or sweet potatoes, which are digested more slowly and are therefore more filling. Brett Hoebel suggests the following substitutes: agave (for white sugar), whole grain (for white flour), brown rice (for white rice), almond milk (for white cow milk), Celtic sea salt (for white salt).” Alcohol is also filled with empty calories and should be avoided.

One glass of raw vegetalbe juice a day has also been show to help dieters loose weight, according to celebrity trainer Marco Borges “Besides the weight loss, juicing will also significantly increase your Vitamin C intake along with many other important vitamins, minerals and micronutrients.  Juicing also reduces your appetite and you’re much more likely to meet the recommended three to five servings of vegetables daily. Increased energy, stabilized insulin levels, improved immune response and too many more benefits to ignore.”

A 3-Part Workout

Here’s a 3-step routine, designed byPJ Stahl, an elite personal trainer in Los Angeles:

1. At each workout, start with strength training exercises. This will kick-start your workout by burning a large amount of calories and will get your body tight and toned for your wedding day.

2. Move as many joints as possible: During your strength training workout, do multi-joint exercises, which work more muscles and burn more calories than the traditional isolated exercises.

3. Finish with cardio. Even if it is only 10 minutes (20-40 minutes is ideal), cardio exercise will burn additional calories and decrease your percentage of body fat.

Partner with your Partner

“When you have someone to help motivate you or someone else relying on you to make good on the evening jog or workout class, you are much more likely to stick to your goals,” says Peter Park, trainer to cycling champion Lance Armstrong. If you can grab your fiancé as your workout buddy, that’s great! Otherwise, ask your maid of honor or a good friend, and setup a few workouts a week. It not only forces you to stay focused, but  exercising with a buddy is a lot more fun that doing it alone!

image from effortless movement