How important is sleep to the skin?

Many people have to spend a lot of time, effort and money to preserve, preserve and care for their skin. However, there is an important, inexpensive skin care method that few people pay attention to, it is: Sleep.
When you get enough sleep, get deep sleep

Sleep is a time for the body to rest and repair itself. During sleep, blood flow on the skin increases, helping to regenerate collagen and repair damage caused by UV exposure, reducing wrinkles and dark spots. Increases cell repair during sleep

Our skin works hard during the day to protect against foreign aggressors, bacteria and toxins from entering the body. At night, the skin changes from a defensive mode to a moment of intense regeneration, at which point the skin begins to repair itself at the cellular level, essentially creating new, youthful skin cells.

The production of new cells begins in the deepest layer that goes to the outermost layer of the skin – the epidermis. Old cells in the epidermis are shed and replaced with new ones.

In addition to the cell changes that take place during the day, the skin cells regenerate faster at night, and the process peaks between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m.

Cell regeneration takes place whether you are sleeping or not, but lack of sleep affects your skin during this process as it inhibits cell repair at optimal levels.

Melatonin is produced during sleep and skin aging is also linked. Melatonin, the sleep hormone, helps fight skin damage during the day by external stressors like UV rays and pollution.

Promotes collagen production and growth hormone

Not only the quantity (the number of hours you sleep), but the quality of your sleep per night also has a big impact on your skin. An eight-hour day of sleep won’t provide the same benefits as 8 hours of straight, deep sleep.

During deep sleep, our bodies produce growth hormones. This hormone is very important, especially in children and adolescents, and helps stimulate growth, cell reproduction and cell regeneration.

This hormone also stimulates collagen synthesis, so poor sleep quality inhibits production of new growth hormone, and collagen production is also reduced. This results in the skin losing its firmness and the formation of wrinkles.

Lack of sleep increases the hormone cortisol, which causes skin breakouts.

When there is a lack of sleep

Causes dark circles and puffiness under the eyes

Dark circles are one of the most visible signs of how sleep deprivation affects your skin. When you don’t get enough deep and restorative sleep, your blood vessels dilate.

The skin under the eyes is thinner than any other part of the body. As a result, blood vessels are dilated and darker is more visible through the thin skin under the eyes.

Insufficient sleep can also cause a build-up of water on the face – the culprit in puffy and tired eyes.

Increased stress hormone cortisol

Lack of sleep causes cortisol levels – the stress hormone – to rise. Excess cortisol promotes sebum production, which can cause inflammation, leading to a range of skin problems, from itching and redness to chronic conditions like eczema and psoriasis.

Affects the level of skin hydration

Hydration (hydration) is the key to healthy skin and the body’s hydration level is influenced by sleep duration. A recent study on the link between sleep and hydration found that people who regularly sleep 6 hours or less per night have a 16-59% higher risk of dehydration than those who get 8 hours of sleep each night. night.

When skin is dehydrated, you will be more prone to skin problems such as dry skin, eczema, psoriasis, dullness, even premature wrinkles. Your body will also have a hard time getting rid of toxins when dehydrated, which in turn affects the health of your skin.

Sufficient, deep sleep will help boost collagen production.

How to have a good night’s sleep?

For a good night’s sleep, it is necessary to:

Pay attention to proper room temperature and lighting. A room that is dark and airy enough will help you fall asleep.

Let your eyes rest, relax, and do not use electronic devices (phone, computer, television) 30 minutes before bed.

Try to stick to a routine of going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, whether it’s mid-week or on weekends. This routine will help stabilize your circadian clock.

Avoid alcohol (alcohol, beer) before going to bed because you will wake up several times during the night (sometimes without realizing it), and alcohol only “kills” you but does not bring you to sleep. sleep naturally.

Avoid caffeinated beverages (coffee, tea) from 3pm.

If you can’t sleep, don’t stay in bed for more than 20 minutes. At that point, you can get out of bed and do something soothing in soft light such as listening to music, practicing breathing, meditating, or writing down thoughts (maybe even scribbling in the shadow). dark and you don’t need to read it again).