The Importance of Sleep

A study in the journal Clinical and Experimental Dermatology found that people who slept seven to nine hours a night had skin that was more moisturised and that could protect and heal itself better after being exposed to ultraviolet light compared to those who slept five hours or less. This is due to the chemical processes going on in your body throughout your sleep.

When it comes to your beauty routine, sleep may be the closest thing there is to a fountain of youth. Your body repairs itself and recovers while you snooze, and that leads to a long list of benefits for your skin. Scientists have found that the sleep hormone melatonin can reduce glycation damage by up to 50%. (Glycation covered in previous blog post.) Stress is an known aggravator to many processes in the body by causing spikes in the level of the hormone cortisol. This in turn increases the effects of glycation by up to 20%, so trying to manage your stress levels will not only aid your restful sleep but slow down the aging processes at a cellular level of the skin.

"If you’re getting fewer than 6 hours, it’s likely affecting your appearance. Start getting 1 to 3 more hours of sleep, and you could see some improvement in as little as a day. Keep it up, and within 2 to 3 weeks, people will notice that you’re sleeping better by the way you look. " says Michael Breus, PhD, a board-certified sleep specialist.

Here are five skin benefits of getting enough rest.

1. Fewer Wrinkles

Skin makes new collagen when you sleep, which prevents sagging. “That’s part of the repair process,” says Patricia Wexler MD (Dermatologist, New York) More collagen means skin is plumper and less likely to wrinkle. Only getting 5 hours a night can lead to twice as many fine lines as sleeping 7 would. It also leaves skin drier, which can make lines more visible, Wexler says.

2. A Glowing Complexion

Your body boosts blood flow to the skin while you snooze, which means you wake to a healthy glow. Skimp on sleep and your complexion can look drab, ashen, or lifeless.

Sleep deprivation causes a decrease in blood flow to the skin surrounding your face. Skin becomes dull, and you don’t get those rosy cheeks anymore.

3. Brighter, Less Puffy Eyes

Chances are, you’ve had dark circles or bags under your eyes after a night of too few Zzz’s.

“Puffy eyes are one of the first things we see when we don’t sleep,” says Doris Day, MD, a clinical associate professor of dermatology at New York University Langone Medical Center. Get enough shut-eye and you'll have less puffiness under your eyes. Stay well-hydrated and elevate your head with an extra pillow at night, too. That can also help reduce swelling.

Plenty of rest can also minimize dark circles. When blood isn’t flowing well -- which happens when you’re low on sleep -- it can collect under eyes and become visible, since the skin there is so thin.

Discoloration under eyes can also be caused by genes, age, and increased melanin (the brown pigment in skin that causes it to tan in the sun). If this is the case, sleep deprivation can make your under-eye issue worse, Breus says.

4. Happier, Healthier Appearance

Being short on sleep can cause the corners of your mouth to droop, making you look sadder than you do after a good night’s rest. “When you’re tired, your facial expressions change in subtle and consistent ways. We tend to furrow and frown more,” Day says. “When people say, ‘You look tired,’ it can be because of these expressions.” Red, swollen eyes, dark circles, sagging eyelids, and paler skin can also signal to others that you’re exhausted. People who don't get enough rest are also seen as less healthy than when they’re rested.

5. Products Work Better

Your skin can focus on repairing itself while you sleep, since it isn’t defending itself from sun and free radicals (harmful molecules from the environment). Blood flow is also more consistent, and this helps your skin benefit from the flesh-repairing ingredients in your beauty products, Wexler says.

Skin also loses more water when you sleep than it does during the day. Apply a creamier moisturiser before bed and drink plenty of water during the day to help your complexion stay hydrated overnight, Day says.

So skip that one last episode on Netflix and grab the extra hours sleep. Your skin will thank you for it!