A day full of duties, work until late evening, and when you go to bed it is difficult to fall asleep, because thoughts revolve around duties the next day. Alarm clock ringing as dawn, then coffee – first, second and subsequent … So often we think about good physical condition, regular exercise, healthy diet, supplements and vitamins and at the same time we forget about the most basic and natural element of caring for our health and beauty – sleep. The correct quality and amount of sleep during the day has a huge impact on the quality of our lives and the appearance of our skin. Thanks to adequate rest, our body and mind are regenerated, and all processes in our body are regulated.
The consequences of neglecting sleep in our everyday lives can be very serious. Frequent headaches, problems with concentration, fatigue and growing negative emotions are just the beginning of the negative effects of fatigue. Sleep has a significant impact on the hormonal balance in our body as well as on maintaining adequate body weight (or even an effective fight with additional kilograms) as well as the ability to fight infection and build natural immunity..
It is also worth remembering that fatigue and lack of sleep have a great impact on the appearance and condition of our skin. One sleepless night is enough for our eyes to be darkened and the complexion to be grey and lacking in glare. During sleep, collagen production processes occur, which is responsible for maintaining skin firmness and makes it less susceptible to wrinkles. During sleep, twice as much growth hormone is produced than during the day, which renews and rebuilds damaged cell structures. Taking this into account, it should be noted that the amount of sleep is crucial, because an uninterrupted sleep lasting at least 7 hours will allow the production of such an amount of collagen that will reduce the number of fine, shallow wrinkles even twice (!). The research shows that not only the number of hours slept during the day is important, but also the time in which we rest. The most valuable will be sleep between 22:00 and 3:00 in the morning, the so-called “golden hours”. This is the time when the skin regenerates best, while enjoying the most expected benefits from skin care treatments performed before falling asleep. During sleep, blood flow in the body and in particular around the face is also improved. If we deprive ourselves of this natural renewal and regeneration, we are exposed to swelling and redness of the eyes, the effect of matte and dull skin and “shadows” under the eyes.
The Skin Study Center at Cleveland University Hospital has conducted extensive research into the effects of sleep on women’s skin diseases. It has been proven in them that insufficient amount of sleep not only directly affects the appearance, but also the skin aging processes and the formation of deep wrinkles, especially with the help of an additional factor which is UV radiation. Let’s remember that skin is our natural protective barrier against various external factors such as air pollution, toxins or just solar radiation.
Studies have shown that the aforementioned processes of skin regeneration and reconstruction occur much more slowly in women with sleep deficiencies or disorders. The ability to regenerate and stop skin aging in women who have fallen asleep was as much as 30% h.
So how do we ensure the quality of our sleep? There are several simple methods for this, thanks to which we can properly take care of our natural regeneration.
First of all – preparing our skin for rest. Thorough makeup removal and cleansing is the basis for the skin to regenerate after all-day make-up and any impurities it comes into contact with during the day. Proper cleansing is also key to the further steps of effective care. Here, you will also need to take care of deep skin hydration with properly matched cosmetics intended for intensive regeneration. Rich in active ingredients such as antioxidants, vitamins and oils or hyaluronic acid, night creams are undoubtedly an inseparable element supporting skin regeneration during sleep.
Secondly – it is worth taking care of the environment in which we sleep. It often turns out that our activity just before falling asleep does not allow us to calm down, relax and sleep peacefully. Let’s give up the use of a computer, TV or smartphone in the bedroom. Intense stimuli and activities will only awaken our mind. It is also worth remembering
about airing the room in which we sleep, adequate hydration of the body and introducing small “rituals” preparing us for deep relaxation such as, for example, meditation, reading a book or aromatherapy.
Let’s also take care of the right pillow on which we sleep. According to scientists, sleeping in an uncomfortable position and compressing the face with a pillow (which often results in bedding marks on the cheek) may result in wrinkle-like wrinkles.
Sleep is our natural ally in maintaining a healthy and beautiful skin condition, so let’s remember about its quality and our skin will return with a radiant look every day!