Beauty or Beast

One of the most fascinating differences between men and women is how different they are in their pre-sleep patterns. Men go to bed, and women "get ready" to go to bed. I don't have an exact count, but there are at least a couple of dozen individual steps that many women take before they get under the covers.

Yes, there are a million or so metro-sexual guys who use a face moisturizer, but the vast majority don't go even that far. Most men simply brush their teeth, put on their pajamas (or not), and hit the pillow.

A woman's sleep-prep pattern is a more ritualistic process, which is not unlike the care taken in creating a master work of art. It is a way to pay homage to the day's end and an affirmation that tomorrow will be brighter.

I believe that there is something therapeutic to this dance. Removing make-up at the end of the day is a way of casting off the old and smoothing the rough spots. Taking a bath before bed is not just relaxing, it is restorative. Allowing the stress of the day to simply drift out of your body as you soak in warm water is healing. The act of putting on lotions is a way of saying, "I'm worth the effort." It's empowering knowing that you've done things to make yourself look and feel better, and the time a woman takes to care for herself is usually returned tenfold.