Beauty Sleep: Look Your Best by Prioritizing Sleep

We all know that humans need at least 6–8 hours of quality sleep to function and thrive. However, have you ever asked yourself why this is? Furthermore, how come sleep is as important to staying beautiful as getting enough exercise and eating a well-balanced diet? 

All jokes aside, beauty sleep is a real thing, and professionals have found that skipping on sleep may leave a person looking and feeling ill and older. So if you want to find out more about the benefits of sleep and how to treat puffy eyes and wrinkles, lose weight, and improve skin issues, then grab a cup of tea and read on.

What Is the “Tea” on Beauty Sleep?

Before diving deeper into the subject, it’s important to start defining what this term refers to. Women may have overheard their mothers or grandmothers talk about it when they were little girls. 

According to Debra Jaliman, the author of Skin Rules, women who want to improve the look of their skin need to get some quality shut-eye. Furthermore, Whitney Bowe, author of Dirty Looks, confirms this statement by claiming that sleep helps lower cortisol levels and elevate melatonin. Thus, when we sleep, the skin repairs itself, and this helps the human body recover from everyday damage.

Outer Beauty Sleep Benefits

It Improves the Immune System

Numerous studies have found that to function properly, feel our best, and keep illnesses at bay, we need to get enough quality rest every night. In fact, the human body requires uninterrupted sleep to successfully produce the right amount of proteins to fight inflammation and infection. On the flip side, people who are sleep deprived have a weaker immune system, making them more prone to sickness (especially in the winter months!). Pro tip: drink calming, immune-boosting drinks such as citrus and ginger tea before bedtime.

Sleep and Hair Growth Are Connected

According to Dr. Bowe, sleep is mandatory for the correct protein synthesis of the hair, as it has a significant effect on the hormones in the body. Thus, one of the greatest perks of getting regular, healthy sleep is having full, luscious, and shiny hair. 

Experts also claim that the quality of one’s hair follicles may be negatively affected by a lack of sleep in two important ways. First, lack of sleep damages hair follicles by depriving them of vital nutrients, thus making the hair dry and brittle. Second, the lack of sleep and hair loss are closely linked. Sadly, sleep deprivation contributes to a rise in cortisol, the stress hormone known for triggering hair loss.

Banish Excess Weight

Even though the idea of losing weight by sleeping may seem silly, researchers claim otherwise. Based on a study of people who wanted to lose weight, people who got enough rest during the night were 55% more likely to lose excess fat than those participants who were lacking in sleep. The reason behind this is that sleep deprivation leads to hormonal imbalances and an increase in appetite levels. 

Get More Sleep, and Wrinkles Won’t Be a Problem

Yes, time goes by when we’re asleep, but this may turn the clock back on our skin, making wrinkles and other aging signs less visible. According to experts, individuals who are sleep deprived age quicker than people who hit the pillow every night. Furthermore, sleep deprivation contributes to the loss of collagen, the key ingredient to ultimate skin regeneration. Pro-tip for wrinkle-free, youthful skin: sleep on your back! Constant pressure on the skin may cause creasing and set-in lines. Remember to get enough sleep, and your skin health will thrive!

Eliminate Puffy Skin Around the Eyes

In short, people who are sleep deprived have fluid build-up and unattractive dark circles around their eye area. The fluids, also called edema, are caused by repeated fatigue and sleep deprivation. Because the delicate skin around the eye is one of the most sensitive areas on the body where skin is the thinnest, the discoloration and the swelling may be extremely visible in people who skip on sleep. Pro-tip for less puffy eyes: for the ultimate beauty sleep results, a pillow made from silk is a must. Make sure to elevate the head with the help of a pillow to ensure edema drainage.

Expensive Skincare Products Will Be More Effective

Have you invested in expensive moisturizers, daily creams, and face masks, but it seems that nothing works? The problem may lie in the fact that you aren’t getting enough proper rest on the regular. According to the wise words of Dr. Bowe, the skin’s deeper layers are working hard to repair the damage caused by daily environmental factors. Furthermore, the skin is trying to repair collagen during sleep. Due to this, people need to pick the right nighttime beauty products to make sure the skin can recover more quickly and more effectively.

It Helps Heal Wounds and Injuries Faster

A recent study on the benefits of sleep in healing wounds faster claims that adequate sleep may be much more important than eating healthy where healing time is concerned. Based on the study, sleep helped people with injuries heal within approximately four days compared to people who were sleep deprived (they needed about five days). Getting beauty sleep and healing injuries is a relatively new concept among scientists. According to previous data, proper nutrition is the most effective and quick way to heal wounds.

Sleep Benefits for Your Inner Beauty 

You Will Be More Productive

According to numerous studies, proper amounts of uninterrupted sleep are linked to better memory, focus, and higher productivity levels. Many would agree that there’s nothing quite as attractive as a person who tries to make the most of each day. Some of the biggest perks of quality sleep on inner beauty include being able to stay present in the moment, having better focus, and being able to hold meaningful conversations with people. Plus, researchers have found that even a 20-minute nap can boost productivity levels by an impressive 34%!

Your Mental Health Will Improve

Did you know that insomniacs are 10 times more likely to suffer from depression and 5 times more likely to have an anxiety disorder? Hence, it’s important to consider how sleep deprivation (especially chronic sleep deprivation) may easily lead to serious mental health problems. This happens because the lack of sleep alters the activity and neurochemicals in the brain. Thus, the power of sleep is so strong that it may easily affect not only how we physically look, but it may also make or break our mental health.

You’ll Be More Confident

It isn’t a secret that confident women and men are the ones who make time to get enough restful sleep every night. According to experts, the important hormones and the restoration of energy levels occur during the night, and these may affect how you generally feel about yourself the next day. Hence, it’s vital to get some well-deserved rest.

How to Get Beauty Sleep

Use Silk Pillows and Sheets

Bedding made out of silk not only looks and feels luxurious, but it also does wonders for your physical appearance. Even though there’s nothing wrong with using cotton, it may easily cause friction and ruin the look of your picture-perfect locks. Plus, silk bedding doesn’t cause awkward facial lines or weird indentations on the skin. Unfortunately, these may lead to premature wrinkles in the long run.

Cleanse Your Skin Before Sleep

Certainly, most women out there have experienced sleeping in their makeup and waking up with awful breakouts all over their face. It is a well-known fact that sleeping in makeup clogs the pores and creates the perfect environment for acne-causing bacteria. So don’t be lazy, and wash your face with a gentle cleanser to make sure all the gunk is removed.

Proper Sleep and Skin Health Does Not Pair Well with Alcohol

Even though a glass of red wine is perfectly fine any time during the day, it may cause puffiness and water retention if consumed right before bed (especially if it’s more than one glass). Of course, this rule also applies to any other type of alcoholic beverage. Furthermore, salty foods also have the same effect on the body, as it leads to dehydration.

Moisturize Before Going to Sleep and Improve Skin Health

According to research into sleep, humans lose around eight ounces of water from the body during sleep. Thus, it’s highly recommended to moisturize before bed to avoid dehydration and cracked skin. A helpful tip is to search for a quality face cream containing hyaluronic acid, as this ingredient helps draw water to the surface of the skin. Furthermore, don’t forget to moisturize your lips and feet!

FAQs

What time is best for beauty sleep?

Now that the basics of getting this type of sleep are clear, it is important to determine the ideal time to go to bed and wake up so that we can feel energized, rejuvenated, and more focused. Geoff Wright, director of the Hair and Beauty Partnership in London, claims that in order to fully reap the benefits of beauty sleep, it is best to crawl into bed around 8 p.m. and wake up around 5 a.m. Furthermore, Wright mentions that the first three hours are dedicated to the rehydration of the body, while the last two hours are meant for extra rest.

What is best to apply on your face before sleeping?

According to skin experts, nighttime is when we allow the body and mind to get proper rest, so we need to make sure that we fully support our skin’s natural functioning with the highest-quality products. Start by removing debris and makeup from the skin by investing in a towelette or cotton pad and a gentle makeup remover. Furthermore, an oil-based cleanser, some lukewarm water, and finally a light moisturizer will do the trick.

Can lack of sleep age you?

In short, yes, chronic sleep deprivation can certainly affect the aging process by causing the cells to age quicker. A study examining lack of sleep and aging found that the participants who repeatedly woke up on purpose during the night displayed more signs of biological aging than those who got the right amount of sleep every night. Another study on the brain structure and sleep found that lack of sleep ages the brain more quickly.

Does no sleep make you pale?

Yes, lack of sleep may contribute to paleness and an overall tired appearance. When an individual doesn’t get proper sleep, hemoglobin or red blood cell production decreases. As a result, the body doesn’t get the right amount of oxygen, further leading to the feeling of weakness and fatigue. Other symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, and pale skin may accompany sleep deprivation.

Does sleep make you look younger?

Yes, sleep can be considered one of the closest things to the Fountain of Youth. Proper sleep helps the organs work better as it decreases the risk of hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and other fatal illnesses. Furthermore, sleep helps fight mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and various other mood disorders. The best of the bunch is that beauty sleep keeps a person slim, energetic, and looking young.

Conclusion

Every single person in the world feels the basic need to sleep. The human body needs a certain amount of sleep during the night to be able to fight diseases, help the organs function properly, keep the person aware of their surroundings, and overall feel better. Most importantly, sleep helps us remain beautiful, young, and thriving. Hopefully, this simple beauty sleep guide will help you out, because remember, a healthy person is a happy person.