Achieving a beautiful, flawless complexion may feel like a constant challenge. Stress, environmental factors, and even genetics can inhibit a fresh face, but there’s a secret to better skin: sleep! Getting a full night’s rest not only refreshes your brain but also your complexion! So how exactly does a good rest help develop healthy skin?
1. Sleep can help reduce inflammation. A lack of sleep sets the body into overdrive, which increases the inflammatory response in cells. Completing much-needed sleep cycles helps reduce the level of stress on your body, which in turn reduces the inflammation response from your nervous system. This can help reduce blotchiness and acne.
2. Some studies have suggested that sleep deprivation is linked to aging skin. While you sleep, your body produces collagen, which is the key ingredient to reducing wrinkles. This natural protein increases elasticity and reduces sagging skin. The key to a youthful complexion and healthy skin could be a solid night’s rest.
3. Sleep reduces puffy eyes and dark circles. One of the telltale signs of lack of sleep is the dark circles or bags that appear under the eyes. These are caused by the body’s inability to balance the water and the blood in your system, which it usually does during sleep. This leads to unsightly dark circles or puffy bags, both of which are pronounced due to the thin skin around the eye socket.
4. Sleep gives your skin time to repair itself. Every day, your skin is directly exposed to harmful dirt, grime, sun rays, and pollutants. Giving your body and immune system time to treat these attacks with a solid eight hours of rest allows healthy skin to repair and rejuvenate itself, leading to better skin, a better complexion, and a happier you.
Remember to listen to your body and plan ahead! Eight hours of sleep is only a recommendation, as some people need six and others need ten to feel fully refreshed. Hitting the sack for a full night will help develop better habits, which will lead to better skin. Sweet dreams!
Thanks to Planetchopstick on Flickr for the image used in this post.