People who sleep at least eight hours a day look more attractive. Research has shown that, when we are well-rested, we look to ourselves and to others better and prettier. “If you want your skin to look younger and healthier, you should sleep at least seven to nine hours a day”, says Michael Breus, the author of the book “Beauty Sleep: Look Younger, Lose Weight, and Feel Great Through Better Sleep”.
We present you with the five benefits of good sleep on your physical appearance:
1. You’ll look healthier – Good night’s sleep cannot magically erase deep wrinkles, but it can surely slow down the process of skin aging. While you’re asleep, your body produces collagen which keeps the skin fresh and elastic.
2. Skincare products will be more effective – Retinol and fruit acid creams, the greatest fighters against skin aging, are most often used at night because of their unstable state and photo-sensitivity, i.e. reaction to daily light. Also, because of intensive blood flow during the night, every cream or lotion which is used then will be absorbed more quickly, says a dermatologist Dr. Delphine Lee from the Health Centre “Saint John” in Santa Monica.
3. Less fine lines and dark circles – “Your body regenerates while you sleep”, says Breus. As a result, fine lines and shallow wrinkles are not that visible, and the face has a healthy glow. When you get enough sleep, even deep circles under your eyes can become less noticeable.
4. Sleep reduces the existent skin problems – If you have eczema, rosacea, or acne, good night’s sleep can help you with that. “Many of the skin problems are related to our mind and body”, says dermatologist Lee. “Those problems can become enhanced when you’re under a lot of stress, so sleep is one of the ways for you to relax and unwind”.
5. Recovery – During the day our skin is exposed to many pollutants, as well as UV rays, so while we’re asleep, it also recovers. “Good night’s rest makes it possible for the oxygen to reach the cells through circulation and in that way, repair the damaged cells”, says Bruce Katz, a dermatology professor at “Mount Sinai” medical school in New York. Even cuts and bruises can heal faster after a good sleep.