Beauty Sleep: Fact Or Fiction?

You’ve probably heard the term beauty sleep before. But if you think beauty sleep is just about getting your required nine hours of rest each night, then we've got news for you! What we're talking about here is the concept of needing to get adequate rest to look like (and feel) our best self every day - but it's not as simple as it sounds. 

It turns out there’s quite a bit of research and science behind the concept of beauty rest. Sleep is when some of the most important internal (and epidermal) recovery takes place, which is why sleep should be the number one component in your beauty routine. A 2017 study found that two days of sleep restriction negatively affected participant’s perceived attractiveness, health, sleepiness, and trustworthiness. 

Put down the products, because there's not a moisturiser or serum in the world that can have the impact a good night's rest can on that pretty face of yours! Getting plenty of sleep is one of the best beauty aids you can invest in - and here’s why.

1. Cortisol, Aka "That Pesky Hormone" Regulates Itself

Wrinkles are inevitable at some point, but taking proper care of your skin and getting a good night's rest is a sure fire way to slow down gravity. The body perceives lack of sleep as a form of stress and responds by producing a hormone called cortisol. In addition to negative effects on the immune system and blood sugar levels, cortisol compromises the supportive collagen in our skin, which leads to premature signs of aging like fine lines, wrinkles and loss of elasticity.
The presence of cortisol also causes blood vessels to constrict, which reduces the amount of oxygen and nutrients the skin receives, in turn making it look dull and sallow. If you're serious about slowing down those fine lines, retaining moisture and generally treating your skin as it should, a Silk Pillowcase will provide all these benefits while you get your shut eye. 
 

2. Your Hair Starts To Resemble A Pantene Ad

A lack of sleep can result in feeling stressed, which again, increases that pesky cortisol hormone. This can lead to hair loss. In fact, hair loss, breakage, damage, and even growth can all be affected by lack of sleep. Your hair follicles increase in nutrients, vitamins, and minerals from blood flow. But blood flow decreases when we’re short on sleep.
 

3. You Can Feel Less Guilty About All The $$$ You've Spent On Skincare

When you sleep, your skin has the chance to concentrate on repairing itself. During sleep your skin doesn’t have to battle against the sun and free radicals. Blood flow is also more consistent, and this helps your skin benefit from the flesh-repairing ingredients in your beauty products.
 

4. Your Eyes Will Sparkle

Blood flow to the rescue again! By getting adequate rest, you encourage blood flow to the face, thereby reducing or preventing those nasty dark rings. Under-eye circles tend to increase in both size and darkness as we get older. A lot of this is due to genetics, but there are some things you can do to reduce their appearance. When you don’t get enough rest and the circulation in your face decreases, blood can pool in the under-eye area, making those circles appear and become more pronounced.
 

The good news? Our skin recovers from sleep deprivation rather quickly, but a sleep marathon isn’t the solution. It's all about consistency, and having the best sleep you can have (and deserve), night after night. Of course an effective skincare regimen can help mitigate the effects that our hectic, stressful lives may have on our skin, but making “beauty sleep” a priority is essential for a youthful, healthy, radiant complexion. How might you get that? Why, with a Sleep Ritual, of course. For a more heavy duty course of action, register your interest in our Sleep Retreats and Workshops to learn all about how to resolve the issues with your zzz's long term. 

Tags: Wellness
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