Next time you want to cancel your evening plans to go out because you want to get your beauty rest, go for it because beauty sleep is real. The quality and length of sleep and rest you get during the night will significantly impact the overall health of your skin, hair, nails and entire body. During slumber, our body recharges. When the body renews, so does our skin, hair, and nails. During rest, our whole body heals, and when it comes to our skin, it restores itself and eliminates toxins. When sleep is compromised, your body won’t be able to carry out these essential functions, and as a consequence, your skin will suffer.
Sleep and the Skin:
So, how sleep affects your skin? During the first 3 hours of sleep, your body will start secreting the human growth hormone. Thanks to the human growth hormone, you have youthful and radiant skin. Without its production, skin cannot be properly repaired from daily damage, and this means your skin will age faster.
In the middle two hours of sleep, the production of hormone melatonin is increased. Melatonin doesn’t only help to regulate your sleep and wake cycles, but also acts as an antioxidant, and protects the skin from free radicals.
In the final 3 hours of slumber, you are in the active REM sleep stage. In REM sleep, levels of stress hormone cortisol decrease, and the skin’s temperature drops to its lowest point. This allows the muscles to relax, and give your skin deep recovery.
5 Ways Your Appearance Suffers from Lack of Sleep
Now that you have learned how sleep affects your skin, you should also learn how sleep deprivation and lack of rest can ruin your appearance.
Hair:
Studies have found evidence that hair loss it directly connected to stress. There is no greater stress for your body than sleep deprivation. Therefore, if you don’t get proper sleep, you increase the risk of premature hair loss. When we are sleep deprived, the levels of the stress hormone cortisol are also increased which will further contribute to early hair loss. Also, when your body cannot correctly replenish energy and rejuvenate during the night, your hair will look dull, thin, weak and it won’t have any shine.
Dull Skin:
As mentioned before, when you don’t get enough sleep, your cortisol levels increase. Apart from affecting your hair, cortisol also affects the appearance of your skin. Higher levels of cortisol trigger inflammation and inflammation breaks down the proteins in the skin that keep it young looking, radiant and smooth.
Also, when you are tired, the blood in your body cannot flow efficiently as when you are well rested. As a result, you will lack oxygen in the blood that will cause your skin to look pigmented or ashy.
Dry Skin:
It’s important to know that during sleep you sweat more. This is a state when your levels of hydration rebalance and recover extra moisture. Simply put, rest is a natural skin moisturizer that helps your skin to stay smooth and wrinkle-free. However, if you don’t get enough shut-eye, or frequently miss on sleep, the moisture levels in your skin will be affected, and your complexion’s PH level will decrease. When PH levels drop, a moisture imbalance is created which causes dry skin.
Dark Circles:
Dark circles under eyes are a well-known symptom of sleep deprivation. These dark circles appear because poor sleep makes your blood vessel dilate. Not sleeping enough also results in poor water balance, so that’s why you sometimes wake up in the morning with dark circles and puffy eyes.
Collagen Production and Aging Process:
As mentioned, missing out on sleep puts direct stress on your body. Chronic stress affects collagen production in skin and results in faster or premature aging. Collagen is very important for beautiful skin because it ensures the skin has proper elasticity. When collagen is broken down, the skin will become thinner and less firm. Thin and less smooth skin is very prone to premature wrinkling.
Tips for Better Sleep for Better Skin:
Only one night of poor sleep can make you immediately feel the consequences of sleep deprivation. Research suggests that one night of poor sleep can cause hanging eyelids, swollen and puffy eyes, darker circles under eyes, pale and dull skin, more wrinkles and fine lines, and more droopy corners of the mouth.
In order to properly implement tips for better sleep for better skin, you need to understand that sleep is a time when the epidermis repairs itself. Due to increase blood flow to the skin, collagen is rebuilt and damage from daily UV exposure is repaired, which as a result reduces wrinkling and age spots. Here’s what you can do to give your skin the rest it deserves.
Get a Full Night of Sleep:
The best way to start improving the overall appearance and health of your skin is to get the recommended amount of shuteye every night – optimally 8 or 9 hours of sleep. Remember that poor sleep can cause faster aging. Without proper rest, your skin cannot recover properly from environmental stressors like sun exposure, and over time it will become drier and paler.
Wash Your Face Before Going to Bed:
Sleeping is essential for ensuring that your skin repairs itself and looks its best. During sleep, the blood flow increases, collagen is built again, and the muscles in your face finally get to relax after a long and stressful day. However, going to bed with a dirty face can significantly harm the appearance of your skin. For more beautiful skin, you have to clean your face every night. You don’t have to use fancy products or scrub your skin till it hurts. It’s enough to use a gentle cleanser that will remove makeup and any extra oil from the skin. If you don’t clean your face, overnight, your pores may clog which will cause inflammation and acne outbreaks.
Use an Overnight Moisturizer and Drink Water:
Washing and cleaning your face can dry out your skin, so it’s important to stay hydrated by drinking enough water and using a quality moisturizer. Again, you don’t have to use any fancy products. A thicker cream or oil will do the trick, and help your skin recover as your sleep.
Get a New Mattress:
For proper beauty, it’s not only essential to make sure you get 8 hours of sleep every day, but also to improve your sleeping environment to maximize the effects of every sleep stage. It is vital to make sure your sleep on the best mattress you can afford. This is the only way to get proper beauty rest. Here are top 10 mattresses recommended by Real Mattress Reviews for undisrupted and healthy sleep. Apart from changing your bed, you should also think about changing your pillows and pillowcases. Putting your face against a rough material such as drying cotton for 8 hours every night can significantly affect the appearance and health of your skin. When combined with being exposed to the sun unprotected and not taking proper care of your skin will almost inevitably lead to premature aging.
Sleep on Your Back or Use a Special Pillowcase:
The position your face is in can also affect the appearance of your skin. Sleeping on a rough cotton surface is also not a good idea because it compresses your face and might cause wrinkles. Wrinkles on the face and chest can also appear when we sleep on our stomachs or sides. A solution to avoid wrinkling is to sleep on your back. However, if it’s rather hard for you to change your sleeping position, you should at least get a quality skin-friendly pillow. Satin and silk pillowcases minimize skin irritation and compression and reduce the appearance of fine lines.
Elevate Your Head:
Elevating your head can help you with many sleep issues, starting from snoring to acid reflux. However, lifting your head is also useful for improving your beauty sleep. In this position, you are improving blood flow, which helps reduce dark circles under eyes and puffiness. Elevate your head by adding an extra pillow or a wedge to your mattress.
Stay Away From the Sun during Sleep:
It’s evident that at night you probably sleep in the dark, but’s it also essential to stay away from the sun during daytime naps. When you are about to catch some ZZZ’s, it’s best to make sure your bed is out of the sun’s direct line.
Healthy Sleep Means Healthier Skin:
No matter how much time you spend cleaning and moisturizing your skin, there is no beauty product out there that can replace the skin benefits of good night’s sleep. For maximum benefits, it’s crucial to pay attention to how you treat your skin during sleeping hours. Proper rest is not only about having a glowing skin or looking younger, but also about maintaining the health of your skin for years to come. Without adequate sleep, you are depriving your body of essential nourishment, causing your skin to look more aged and dull. So, just do yourself a favor and start practicing better sleep hygiene. Your skin will be grateful to you.