Want one more reason to justify hitting snooze on the alarm clock? You need your beauty sleep! Although women spend endless amounts of money on skin creams, lotions and makeup products, they often neglect the best beauty tool available to them: sleep.
How does sleep affect beauty?
When you don’t get enough sleep, not only are your energy level and mood affected, but your skin is, too. After a night of poor sleep, your body releases a hormone called cortisol, sometimes referred to as the stress hormone.
When too much cortisol is present in your body, it can lead to a breakdown of collagen, the protein that keeps skin youthful, elastic and full. Although one night here or there won’t lead to noticeable effects, countless nights of little sleep can cause the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
That pesky hormone cortisol does more than just cause wrinkles. Increased levels of cortisol can also cause inflammation throughout the body, leading to acne breakouts and blotchy, red skin. This inflammation can also trigger existing skin conditions such as eczema and melasma.
But it affects more than just the skin on your face. When the body releases cortisol after a night of poor sleep, it signals to the brain that the body is under stress and needs to restore energy quickly by eating. This means that people who don’t get enough sleep tend to eat more calories the next day, leading to significant weight gain over time.
You may have noticed that after a night of little sleep, your eyes appear darker and puffier. That’s because while asleep, the body balances hydration, processing out water that is no longer needed, and allowing the skin to absorb moisture it needs to maintain its glowing appearance.
Without sleep, the body cannot complete this process and leaves you with dark circles, puffiness and dry, dull skin.
How do you get better beauty sleep?
To fight back against the effects of lack of sleep, try turning off all technological devices two hours before you go to bed. Not only will you become distracted and stay awake longer by scrolling through social media or texting friends, but the bright lights from these screens cause sleep disruption, too.
If you’re having trouble falling asleep, stress could be to blame. To combat stress and rest peacefully through the night, try practicing relaxation techniques before bed.
Lay down flat and take slow, deep breaths in and out. Focus your thoughts on the pace of your breaths and nothing else. Or, try closing your eyes and visualizing a place that makes you feel happy and relaxed, like a quiet beach or peaceful cabin in the mountains.
Sweet dreams!
Reviewed April 8, 2016
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith