November is National Healthy Skin Month, but how does how can sleep affect your skin? We all know the Disney classic cartoon Sleeping Beauty and the term beauty sleep; well, that truly sums things up for most of us. However, many of us do not realize the extent of sleep’s effect on our appearance. When our bodies are not obtaining enough sleep during the night, they start to increase the production of the stress hormone cortisol. Higher levels of this in our systems begin to break down the collagen responsible for keeping our skin smooth and firm, affecting our skin quality and overall appearance.
The Effects of Sleep on Your Skin
Studies have shown that chronic poor sleep quality is associated with increased signs of aging, skin issues, and decreased satisfaction with appearance. Everyone should get a minimum of 7-9 hours of sleep nightly to promote the best possible outcomes for our skin and overall health. Getting the correct amount of sleep decreases our body’s chances of experiencing various skin problems. Dark circles, swollen eyes, paler skin, wrinkles, and fine lines, and more droopy corners of our mouth are some of the more noticeable issues that can occur. By treating sleep as if it’s our body’s fountain of youth, we will help maintain our appearance for years to come. Who wouldn’t want to make 50 the new 30!
Your appearance can reflect your sleep quality.
Obtaining A Better Sleep
The first step to getting better sleep is implementing a nightly sleep routine which should include a good beauty regimen and the practice of some good sleep hygiene – need some tips – these are available on our website. Remember that our bodies do most of their recovery and healing during the sleep process, and this helps to rejuvenate us and provide us with a higher level of self-esteem. Our appearance and how we feel go hand in hand, and as they say – when we look good, we feel good too. Changing our sleep habits will help us have fewer wrinkles, decreased puffiness around the eyes, and better complexion; some might even say glowing, and who wouldn’t want to experience these benefits. So now, let’s all go home and get a good night of sleep and start turning back the hands of time and enjoy the more youthful well-maintained skin that we may not have known we could have.
Read skincare resources on the American Academy of Dermatology Association’s website or learn more about diverse skin health through the Canadian Dermatology Association’s Skin Diversity Learning Series.
