How To Fake a Good Night's Sleep

We’ve all been there. We stayed up too late the night before, hit the snooze button too many times, and only have a half hour to get to work looking like, well, we actually slept.

Fret not, my puffy-eyed friends; there’s hope to be had. Even when you can’t score a solid of eight hours of sleep at night, there are still ways to at least look like you did. From green tea to Visine, read ahead for seven ways to fake a good night’s sleep in pinch. 

1. Take a brisk walk.

Along with feeling groggy and tired, not getting enough sleep can often make you feel (and look) bloated. Try walking to work to help fight the fatigue and get yourendorphins flowing. If you don’t have the time, fine; ten quick jumping jacks should get you energized enough to jumpstart your day.

2. Soothe your puffy eyes.

Most sleep-deprived people would agree: dark under-eye circles are the worst. Luckily, the web is brimming with fast-working and affordable puffy eye reducers (or you can just use cucumber slices, tea bags, or cold spoons).

3. Take a power shower.

Nothing wakes you up faster than a good old-fashioned power shower. If you can handle a cool one, research shows that taking a quick cold shower can make you feel more awake. If not, no worries. An invigorating body wash—try something with peppermint to help perk you up—should do the trick.  

4. Moisturize.

One of the most visible side effects of a poor night’s sleep is dehydration, which usually shows up in the form of flaky skin and accentuated fined lines on your face. Combat signs of tired skin by slathering on a coat of brightening facial moisturizer and you’ll look rested again in no time.

5. Curl your eyelashes.

Don’t have the time for makeup but desperate for a mascara boost? Wake up your eyes with a couple quick squeezes from your eyelash curler and look fresh-eyed in a matter of seconds.

6. Drink green tea.

Too much coffee on little sleep can wind up making you feel more fatigued once all of the caffeine wears off. Instead, try sipping on a hot cup of green tea after lunch for a mid-day energy boost that will also reduce your bloating.

7. Grab some Visine.

Bloodshot eyes are a sure sign of a sleepless night. Relieve your tired red eyes with a few drops of Visine (or any other hydrating eye drops) and you’ll look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in minutes.

When you don’t get quality sleep, it shows. Luckily, whether you were up all night working or drinking wine, there are still plenty of ways to freshen up and fake it until you finally score a good night’s sleep.