Why Is Beauty Sleep A Real Thing

Posted on June 27, 2016 by caroline

Why is beauty sleep a real thing. My summer skincare challenge is starting in just a few short weeks and in an effort to prepare for it, I want everyone who has already signed up (if you haven’t, you can do that here: Summer Skincare Challenge) to start thinking about the small changes you should be implementing to keep your skin looking young and radiant.
Judging by the fact that the beauty industry is a billion dollar business, I’m guessing that we are all doing our part in helping it stay healthy and thriving. What if I told you that doing one small thing will actually keep you looking younger and staying healthier for life? It’s actually super simple, yet almost impossible at the same time. It’s just sleep.

WHY IS BEAUTY SLEEP A REAL THING

The Answer. So apparently yes, there is a reason we use the term Beauty Sleep because while you are sleeping, your body is very busy regenerating itself. Think of sleep in the same you would think about healthy foods because that’s similar to what it is for your brain. While you are sleeping, your body is shedding dead blood cells and replacing them with new ones. Your body also getting rid of toxins and reducing cortisol, the stress hormone (you know how things never feel quite as bad after a good night’s sleep). In all seriousness, cortisol is the hormone that’s responsible for skin discolorations and thinning hair and you need to control it to help fight against the start of wrinkles and age spots. So you see, sleep is probably the best beauty product that you can’t buy.

BENEFITS OF MORE SLEEP

Glowing complexion. Ever notice that your skin becomes dull when you haven’t got enough shut eye? This is because your production of collagen decreases and your levels of cortisol increase, which in turn causes skin inflammation. If that weren’t enough, your skin’s pH balance drops and the moisture levels in your skin drop causing you to lose that youthful glow. When you sleep, your body produces more of the sleep hormone melatonin, which is like an antioxidant that is vital in helping you fight against fine lines and age spots. Another benefit of a full night’s rest is an increase in blood flow to your skin, which gives you that radiant complexion and those rosy cheeks. Skip a few nights rest and you’ll quickly have dehydrated, flaky skin and breakouts.

Clear eyes. Puffy and tired eyes are the first thing to give you away when you aren’t sleeping well. We just talked about blood flow in the previous point and when you have poor blood flow, your blood vessels dilate which causes dark circles. Now, any swelling you might see is also going to be exacerbated by lying on your stomach and of course, some of us are genetically predisposed to having dark circles under our eyes. Getting enough sleep, however, will diminish any dark circles or swelling above and beyond what you can’t control. If you find that you are suffering from dark circles, this is for you: How To Minimize Dark Circles.

Great hair. Remember that blood flow? Well, blood also carries vitamins and nutrients and minerals that it brings to your hair follicles. When you are overtired, your hair receives less of its “food” and you’ll soon find that your tresses are dull, dry and prone to breakage.

Healthy weight. The more sleep you miss, the higher your levels of cortisol (stress hormone), the bigger your appetite and the more you eat….. See where I’m going with this? When you are exhausted, will power basically goes out the window and there’s a good chance you are also eating more in order to give yourself the necessary energy to function.

An overall healthier you. A chronic lack of sleep can also contribute to some very serious health problems like: heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and high blood pressure.

More money. Okay, so this isn’t a direct benefit of getting more sleep, although how awesome would that be? What does happen, however, when you are getting enough sleep is that your products work better and you’ll therefore need less of them to reap their full benefits.

I know that it’s sometimes easier said than done, but it’s important to make you a priority. If you are having trouble falling asleep, try working out in the evenings a few hours before bedtime. It will leave you feeling tired and ready for bed. Also, if you find yourself lying awake, night after night, why not implement a nighttime de-stress ritual? Turn off all your devices and spend a few minutes deep breathing and meditating. You can even add some essential oils to your pre-bedtime skincare routine to help you relax. Of course, getting enough sleep will be beneficial to your beauty routine, but it will also help you function at a higher capacity in everyday life and make you overall happier and healthier.

Do you have any tricks falling asleep at night?

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caroline

Caroline has worked with international designers in fashion retail and completed professional makeup courses when working in the beauty industry. Her love of writing, photography and film inspired her to work at the Canadian Film Center and then to earn a BFA in Screenwriting. In addition to her blog, Style On The Side, you can see her work in Huffington Post Canada and other international websites.