How to Get the Most Beauty Out of Your Sleep
There’s no better feeling than stepping out of the door in the morning feeling alert and rested from a rejuvenating night of sleep. A good night’s sleep can also make you feel better about your appearance – and that’s not just perception. Feeling positive about your appearance instills confidence through all your day’s endeavors. And quality sleep can help you not only look more refreshed and youthful, it can also boost your inner confidence, causing others to perceive you as a healthier individual. Beauty sleep, unlike the claims of some anti-aging skin creams, is not a myth.
What Happens to our Bodies During Sleep?
During sleep, your body recalibrates its hydration, helping to combat those bags underneath your eyes and delay the onset of crow’s feet. Facial muscles that experience heavy use throughout the day relax, helping to reduce the likeliness of wrinkles. The deep sleep you get at night is also integral to repairing skin and fighting the effects of aging.
This period is when the body produces the largest quantities of the human growth hormone, an important element in skin and hair repair.
Losing out on quality sleep leads to an increase in inflammation throughout your body. This inflammatory response by your body can wreak havoc on your skin, leading to an increase in acne breakouts and breakdowns of collagen, a vital molecule for keeping your skin glowing. Increased levels of stress due to this same inflammatory response can also lead to rapid hair loss.
Not only does losing sleep tangibly affect your appearance, but studies show that skimping on quality sleep can also cause others to perceive you as less attractive. Sleep deprivation can lead to symptoms such as dark eye circles, duller eyes, increased blink cadence, and pale skin – all factors that can make you appear less healthy and more sleep deprived.
How to Get Better Beauty Sleep
Thankfully, a great night’s sleep can be as beneficial as heading to the spa for a facial or applying that expensive skin cream you just purchased.
- Use silk or satin for your sheets and pillowcase. They’re softer on your skin and help to prevent friction.
- Try to sleep on your back. Pressing your face continuously into a pillow can lead to wrinkles.
- Always wash your face before bed. Leaving your makeup on can lead to clogged pores overnight, which can cause breakouts.
“Beauty sleep: experimental study on the perceived health and attractiveness of sleep deprived people”.http://www.bmj.com/content/341/bmj.c6614.
“Sleep Wrinkles: Facial Aging and Facial Distortion During Sleep.”National Institutes of Health.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27329660.