Beauty sleep (the science between our sleep and skin)

I don’t know if it's my side of the internet (or my interest in getting a better lifestyle to minimize illness as I grow older) but I’ve been getting an immense amount of information about sleep and its impact on our health. Although there are many benefits besides our skin looking good, for the purpose of this blog entry let’s focus on skin. Important note; as of late a new study has shown that women need more sleep than men (this may be due to women’s hormonal fluctuation), I encourage you to look for more information regarding this matter.

Let’s start with the basics: What is sleep? Sleep is a period of time where the body and mind rests. In this period of rest it allows our bodies to use less energy, which then lets cells resupply for the next day. It also helps the body to heal and repair itself, also known as recovery. Finally, it gives the time and space for the brain to reorganize and catalog information. 

What happens to your appearance when you don’t have a good night’s rest? From my experience; my dark circles get extremely dark, my eyes get red and I feel dehydrated. These are some of the symptoms that have been known and observed in people with sleep deprivation. What difference does a good night sleep provide? It may potentially reduce wrinkles, enhance complexion and reduce the appearance of dark circles. When you lack sleep it reduces our collagen production, which can then lead to the appearance of wrinkles. One of the major key elements for skin complexion is hydration and when you’re sleep deprived it reduces the production of vasopressin, which helps to keep the water in the body balanced. Lastly, those pesky dark circles, due to lack of sleep, makes blood vessels dilate which then causes the dark circles to get even darker.

Now that we have all the knows let’s look at what we can do to get a better night sleep:

• Sleep routines (routines in general make lives easier)

• Dark and cool room

• Relaxation time (read, journal, podcast,etc.)

• Make your bed and room a sleep haven (comfy mattress, comfy pillows, etc.)

Hope this has helped with your beauty sleep like I have been trying to do as part of my lifestyle routine. 

Con amor 💖,

Fran