Does sleep help your skin? It absolutely does. Time spent while your body is shut down is used to repair and restore your cellular tissues, ensuring their vitality. Not only does sleep promote skin health, but it can also benefit your heart, weight, mind and more.
The benefits of sleep for skin include fewer wrinkles, less sagging, rejuvenated color, fewer acne blemishes, and less inflammation. Something that we all should be striving for if we want to put our best skin forward everyday!
1. Skin repairs itself at night - Cell turnover refers to the process of producing new skin cells which travel from the deepest layer of the skin to the outermost layer of skin; the dead cells are then shed off and replaced with new, healthy ones. During this overnight process, you also build collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid—the molecules responsible for skin’s plumpness, translucency and elasticity.
Keeping your skin plump and firm helps prevent premature aging such as wrinkles and sagging. Furthermore, increased levels of the sleep hormone (melatonin) acts like an antioxidant which fights age spots, fine lines and even skin cancer. Ample rest may be the closest thing to the fountain of youth—and one of the best benefits of sleep for skin.
2. Sleep deprivation causes a decrease in blood flow to the skin surrounding your face. Another benefit of sleeping for great skin is the increased blood flow to the facial area overnight. Your body uses its time resting to pump oxygen to your complexion in order to "breathe out" pollutants and free radicals accumulated throughout the day. This helps repair any damage incurred, restore your complexion, and provide a radiant, colorful glow.
3. Your immune system is weakened without enough sleep.Sleep deprivation suppresses immune system functioning. Those who suffer from cystic acne should make special note regarding this lack of sleep’s effect on skin; deep acne lesions are caused by an infection of the P. acnes bacteria deep within pores, which is harder to fight off while immunity is weak. Getting quality sleep can improve your skin’s health by reducing inflammation in addition to making you more resilient to colds and viruses.
4. You produce more cortisol when you’re tired. Cortisol, a stress hormone, also plays a role in sleep and skin appearance. When you’re sleep deprived, your body produces higher levels of cortisol, which increases the severity of inflammatory skin conditions such as acne or psoriasis. High cortisol levels also trigger the skin’s sebaceous glands to produce more sebum (oil), leading to clogged pores and breakouts.
Cortisol is not only related to sleep deprivation and skin, but prolonged exposure to this elevated stress hormone also has negative effects for your overall health, including impaired cognitive performance, suppressed thyroid functioning, heart complications, and blood sugar imbalances.
5. Poor sleep leads to dehydration. Hydration also pertains to sleep and skin: the less you sleep, the more dry and dehydrated your skin will look and feel. The lack of sleep effects on the skin due to dehydration are obvious: swollen, sunken eyes; dark circles; flaking; a pale, ashen complexion. A lack of fluids may also make you feel sluggish and irritable, making you both look and feel off your game.