We spend almost a third of our lives asleep. This seems like an awfully large amount of time but is extremely crucial for our survival. When it comes to health, getting a proper amount of sleep daily is as important as food and exercise. But are there any skincare benefits of a good night’s sleep? Just think, if you don’t get ample sleep for just one night, it automatically reflects on your skin, in the form of droopy and swollen eyes, dark under eyes, and a paler complexion. In fact, as per a 2017 study, just two days of sleep restriction negatively impacted the participant’s perception about his/her attractiveness, health, and even worthiness. So, there is some truth to beauty sleep after all! To know more about this, Onlymyhealth spoke to Dr Manu Singh, Consultant, Dermatology, Cosmetology & Trichology, Paras HMRI Hospital, Patna.
Skin Care Benefits Of Sleep
(Photo Credit: Freepik)
A good night’s sleep affects the skin in the following ways:
- Prevents Premature Ageing: When you sleep, your skin repair process kicks in. In the short term, it makes the skin look refreshed and in the long term, it prevents premature ageing.
- Collagen Production: The blood circulation increases during sleep. It makes your skin look healthy and glowing. It is also the time of collagen rebuilding. Collagen is an essential protein that holds the body together. When your body produces less of this protein, it makes the skin sag, causes wrinkles and the skin loses its elasticity.
- Stimulates Growth Hormone: When you are in deep sleep, your body gets into the repair mode and releases the growth hormone that helps your skin to heal, Dr Singh explained.
- Dark Circles: Although there could be other reasons as well, we all know that lack of sleep is a primary cause of dark circles. So, catch up on Zzz. It also helps prevent puffy eyes.
- Dr Singh described sleep as a “secret to healthy and young skin.”
Expert Tips For Better Sleep
Now that we have gone through why proper sleep is essential for the overall health in general and skin in particular, here are some tips shared by Dr Singh that will help you with quality sleep:
- Make sure you get 7-8 hours of sleep every night.
- Not just quantity, ensure that you sleep and wake up at the same time every day. This tunes your body for better repair.
- Make your bedroom cool, dark, quiet, and comfortable.
- Do not look at screens at least 1-2 hours before going to bed, as it messes up with the body’s circadian rhythm, i.e. its sleep-wake cycle.
- You can use a sleep mask to limit the light to make your brain ready for sleep.
- If needed, you can also track your sleep using various apps and gadgets that are available easily.
Other than these, cleansing is very important before sleep. Use any good cleanser that suits your skin for this purpose. Your skin like the rest of your body gets dehydrated during sleep. Use a good moisturiser before going to bed and drink plenty of water and other fluids throughout the day.
Photo Credit: Unsplash
