The Benefits of Sleep For Your Skin

The benefits of sleep for your skin may be more powerful than you think.

How? Because your skin is a reflection of your body’s overall health, and quality sleep is a core component of that.

In today’s blog, Facial Expressions outlines why sleep is crucial for health, the benefits of sleep for your skin, and our top tips for getting the sleep you deserve.

Let’s dive in.

“Beauty Sleep” Isn’t a Myth After All

In a recent study conducted by the University of Paris, researchers have found that poor sleep affects both the skin and general health.

If you are consistently sleeping less than six hours per night, you are likely suffering from:

• Skin dullness
• Emphasized under-eye circles
• Fatigue
• A chronic lack of concentration

This is because your body repairs itself while you sleep. If you aren’t getting sufficient shut-eye then your body’s largest organ, your skin, doesn’t have the time it needs to ensure its firing on all cylinders.

The Benefits of Sleep For Your Skin and Health

It doesn’t matter if you’re a morning person or a night owl: if you are getting quality sleep for 7 – 9 hours per night, your skin will thank you.

In fact, you’ll get to enjoy the following:

A More Radiant Complexion

As Michael Beus, a board-certified sleep specialist, puts it, “Sleep deprivation causes a decrease in blood flow to the skin surrounding your face. Skin becomes dull, and you don’t get those rosy cheeks anymore.”

Out of the four stages of sleep, stage three (the “deep sleep”) is the one that is most important for skin repair… and is also the one that requires you to be sleeping for more than 6 hours to achieve.

During this stage, your brain waves slow, your body repairs tissues, and your energy is built up for the following day. This boosts blood flow to the skin on and around your face, which will help your skin to bounce back to the radiant glow you know and love!

Fewer Wrinkles and Fine Lines

Cell turnover and collagen production increases in the evening, and hits its peak as we sleep.

By skimping out on your sleep, you are subjecting yourself to:

• More fine lines
• More wrinkles
• Drier skin
• Skin that loses its elasticity faster
• Deepened frown lines and/or furrow lines

Luckily for you, these sleep-related skin detriments can be reversed by whipping your sleep schedule back into shape. If you have been noticing signs of premature aging, reexamine your sleep quality first!

Brighter Eyes

Are your eyes puffy, dark, and drier than they have ever been before?

Then it’s likely a sleep-related problem.

When blood isn’t sufficiently flowing, it can collect in the delicate under-eye area and result in water retention and dryness. Eyelids can even sag, making us look even more tired than we may be!

For brighter eyes, hit the hay earlier to start seeing a difference in just one week.

Enhanced Product Absorption

According to the National Sleep Foundation, we all lose water from our skin every night. This is called transepidermal water loss, and can result in lessened product absorption and drier skin… especially when combined with a lack of sleep.

To counteract transepidermal water loss, ensure that your skin has sufficient time to repair itself as you sleep, apply products that lock-in hydration such as serums and moisturizers before bedtime, and drink plenty of water throughout the day. 

Not only will this help you look fresher throughout the day: it will also work to help your skin defend itself from sun damage and free radicals!

How to Sleep Better (For Better Skin)

Now that you know why you should be prioritizing better sleep, let’s outline our favourite tips for making it a reality.

For our daytime sleepers:

• Stick to a sleep schedule that ensures that you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day
• Aim for a minimum of 30 minutes of natural sunlight every day, preferably in the AM (after applying your Facial Expressions SPF, of course!)
• Exercise daily, but at least 2 – 3 hours before bed to guarantee that your body has time to “wind down” afterwards
• Limit your caffeine, especially in the afternoon
• Consider investing in a white noise machine to drown out common daytime interruptions 

For sleeping at night:

• Eat a moderate dinner vs a large, heavy meal to avoid sleep-impairing acid reflux or indigestion 
• Limit alcohol and general beverages before bed to avoid having to urinate in the middle of the night
• Take a hot bath before bedtime to induce feelings of sleepiness (we swear by this one!)
• Ensure that your bedroom is dark, cool, and gadget-free to keep your mind calm and uncluttered
• If you are prone to undereye puffiness, elevate your head with an extra pillow at night to mitigate swelling
• Listening to meditative music or auditory rituals can help wind down a stressed mind and, in turn, help you fall asleep faster

Get Your Sleep (And Skin!) In Order Today With Facial Expressions

Transform the way you feel about your skin with the practical skin education, health-forward facial treatments, and holistic self-care strategies that we provide.

No matter what your sleep-oriented skin concerns may be, we can sit down with you to provide a skin care plan that gets those concerns in check.

Contact us today to get started.