Posted by Sweetsation Therapy on 14th Jan 2015
Why You Need Your Beauty Sleep
Everyone has heard the dreaded question, "You look terrible. Did you get enough sleep last night?" You quickly say that of course you did and then run to the mirror to see what they are talking about. Do you have bags under your eyes, lack luster skin, saggy skin, dark circles? Lack of sleep causes your blood vessels to dilate. Rubbing your eyes also makes those dark rings worse. Not enough sleep can make you look angry, stressed, tired, sad and much older. If you are up late drinking and smoking that also affects your sleep quality, leaves bags under your eyes and leads to premature wrinkles. This will affect your beauty sleep and therefore affect how your skin look.
Why You Need Your Beauty Sleep
When you sleep your skin and body goes into repair mode. New skin cells replace the older cells as your skin is repairing, restoring and re-balancing. Your body also goes through hormonal and metabolic changes. A lack of sleep can throw all those processes into a tail spin. If you suffer from chronic sleep problems you could end up also suffering from high blood pressure, inflammation, oxidative stress, heart disease, diabetes, and depression.
The Science
Science has been researching the benefits of sleep on the body for decades. Through research they have found that 7 to 9 hours is the magic sleep number. One might think that if 7 to 9 hours is good than 10 to 11 hours is even better. However, that is not necessarily true. There are studies that show that getting too much sleep can be as bad as not getting enough. Oversleeping can cause cell breakdown.
Non-REM sleep is the perfect time for your skin to repair and rejuvenate itself. Research has shown that the skin cell regeneration process almost doubles at night peaking between 11 p.m and 4 a.m. According to The National Sleep Foundation 2007 Poll, 60% of women say they don't get enough sleep. In 2008, the CDC discovered that over 1/3 of Americans sleep 2.5 hours less per night than we did a century ago. In 2001, a study was published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology showing that women who were deprived of sleep have a disturbed skin-barrier function, a far high level of inflammatory chemicals in circulation, and greater water loss from the skin. Continued over time, this takes a toll on the outer epidermal layers and the deeper dermal structures of your skin, unfortunately leading to making you look much older than you are. All this data shows that as a society we are putting less emphasis on the importance of a good nights sleep.
What Can We Do if getting enough sleep on a regular basis is not possible.
Using a great night cream maximizes your sleep by using specialized ingredients to support the natural repair process your skin goes through.Free radicals have raged war against your skin and the antioxidants are the soldiers that fight those free radicals to prevent oxidation as you sleep. Retinoids and exfoliants work together in your skins repair process by helping to support natural exfoliation. They remove dead skin cells to reveal a brighter, healthier glow. Make sure to use night creams only during the nighttime they increase sun sensitivity. In the 2001, Journal of Investigative Dermatology study, they said our skin loses more moisture when you don't sleep enough. By using a night cream that will attract moisture and therefore bind it to the skin which will benefit you greatly.
Everyone should follow a 'before bed' beauty regimen.
An ideal nighttime skin care routine should look something like this:
For dry or sensitive skin use a gentle but rich moisturizing cream
For oily skin use a lightweight, oil free moisturizer
Here are 5 quick tips for getting better quality beauty sleep
◦Start a bedtime ritual that is positive. Visualize beautiful, healthy skin as you fall asleep and your skin will follow.
◦Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
◦Sleep on your back. Sleeping on your stomach forces your face into the pillow, and that creates a mesh-work of fine lines and creases when you wake up.
◦Use a soft cover on your pillow. High thread count pillow cases are nice to your skin.
◦Stick to white for your sheets. Dyes can irritate sensitive skin.
We hope that these tips give you valuable insight into why beauty sleep is such an important step into keeping your skin youthful, glowing and beautiful.