Top ten sleep and beauty tips

Bob Hickman, United Feather & Down's Senior Vice Present of Sales and Marketing, and Neil A. Petrocelli, Borghese, Inc.'s Vice President of Marketing, list their top sleep and beauty tips.

1. Aloe vera gel penetrates skin almost four times faster than water, and its super emollient qualities help it moisturize the under layers of skin. Aloe treated bedding is kind to your skin to help you awaken refreshed and rejuvenated.

2. Choose the right pillow to fit your sleep style. A quality pillow is constructed to fit either a side sleeper, back sleeper or stomach sleeper and the right pillow can make a world of difference for getting a satisfying and full night's rest.

3. Try to get to bed at the same time every night. This keeps your body in the proper rhythm to obtain a full, good night's rest. This is because humans have an inbuilt body clock called the circadian rhythm. Controlled by hypothalamus at the base of the brain, it governs the body's daily alternation between sleep and wakefulness.

4. Night cremes concentrate on repairing, refreshing and rejuvenating what was damaged during the day's exposure to sun, environmental factors and simple stress. They can help improve skin tone and color, reduce blemishes and hydrate and rejuvenate the skin. Moisturizing creams rich in natural, soothing botanicals are gentler for your skin. Giving your self an "overnight facial" is a great way to wake up feeling refreshed and looking younger.

5. The area around your eyes doesn't contain oil-producing glands, so pay special attention to this sensitive area by gently applying a soothing, botanical eye cream to help prevent fine lines and dark circles.

6. The right mattress pad can help extend the life of your mattress and bedding, and provide extra support to help you get a better night's sleep. When constructed with the right fibers and fabrics, a proper mattress pad promotes breathability, or proper air-flow to help moderate body temperature, improve moisture management and wick excessive moisture away.

7. Night time is the best time to practice a skin care regimen focused on repair and refreshment, because in the quiet of your bedroom, you are free from stress, sun and environmental factors that can cause premature aging.

8. A good night's sleep isn't important only for beauty, but also for better health. Your immune system benefits as well. Rapid-Eye-Movement or REM sleep helps the body and the immune system recharge and repair cell damage from the day's stressors and activities.

9. Body temperature is important when you sleep, so selecting the right bedding is important. When selecting down, premium, quality larger down clusters provide a higher fill power that will trap more air for lighter, softer loft and warmth in a comforter; and in a pillow, superior loft and adjustable comfort. Consider the construction of the comforter or pillow, type of fabric and the thread count.

10. Allergies can keep a person awake at night. The proper hypoallergenic bedding will help lessen the possibility of an allergic reaction or response. United Feather & Down's Freshness Assured(R) guarantee is a proprietary 15-step cleaning process that ensures all our Down and Feather blends are hypoallergenic, the cleanest, freshest product available.