You’ve probably heard the term “beauty sleep,” but does getting a beauty sleep really mean that you’ll have more beautiful skin? It can be hard to get enough sleep at night during your day-to-day grind. Work and family often take a toll on your sleep schedule without noticing, and it can be harder to get the ideal amount of sleep if you live a hectic life. Getting enough sleep is a key element in obtaining a glowing complexion, though, and there are a number of reasons why—as well as a variety of things sleep can do for your skin.
Beauty Sleep Controls Your Hormones
Sleep deprivation can trigger imbalances in your hormones, resulting in unwanted side effects that often hurt your skin’s complexion and metabolism. Hormones like cortisol, a stress hormone, can increase with less sleep and cause issues like inflammation and stress. These problems may put you on a path to more wrinkles or a dim complexion, so getting enough beauty sleep is vital for keeping hormones at bay. A lack of sleep can also slow down your metabolism, as your thyroid—the gland that controls your metabolism—depends on a good amount of rest in order to function properly. Not getting enough sleep can also leave your skin looking dry and dull because the body pumps blood to the skin while you’re resting, meaning that existing wrinkles will appear more prevalent if you haven’t slept enough lately.
Sleep Deprivation Worsens Pre-Existing Skin Problems
If you struggle with pre-existing conditions such as acne, eczema or rosacea, a good night’s rest could help you out. Because hormones are affected by how much sleep you get each night it also impacts the skin problems you already suffer from. When your skin’s inflammation increases it can lead to a decrease in the production of things like hyaluronic acid or collagen, both of which give your skin a bouncy, hydrated glow.
Beauty Sleep is the Key to Brighter Eyes
If you notice that your eyes seem dull or puffy throughout the week it’s probably because you’re not getting enough sleep at night. Getting a good night’s rest can bring that puffy look down, making your eyes appear brighter and helping you look well-rested. Beauty sleep can also decrease the dark circles that appear under your eyes when you’re tired if that’s more of an issue. Your eyes tell a lot about how much sleep you get, and you can either hide it with makeup or take care of it at the root of the problem by getting 7-9 hours of beauty sleep every night.
All things aside, a good night’s rest can significantly help us emotionally, mentally and physically. Studies have shown that getting enough sleep at night contributes to how well we focus the next day. it can also impact our mood, making us feel happier and more refreshed. When we sleep, our bodies have a chance to rest, revitalize and recover. This will help the appearance of healthier, brighter skin and a healthy metabolism. Beauty rest is particularly important for certain skin types. I recommend taking my skin type quiz to find out your skin type so you can get specialized recommendations based on what your individual needs are. You can find a link to the skin quiz here. For tips on improving your sleep, check out this podcast interview with sleep expert, Dr. Michael Breus.
Reader Interactions