Sleep definitely has some connection to the fountain of youth whenever it comes to your beauty routine. As your beauty sleep, your body recovers and repairs itself, which has a long list of cosmetic benefits. The best approach is to get enough sleep each night, ideally 7 to 9 hours.
According to a board-certified sleep specialist, Michael Breus, getting less than 6 hours of sleep per night is likely to affect your appearance. Aim for 1 to 3 more hours of sleep per night, and you could notice a difference in as little as a day. Maintain your efforts, and “within 2 to 3 weeks, people will notice that you’re sleeping better by the way you look,” according to Breus.
Here are six beauty advantages of getting enough sleep:
1. Less Wrinkles
When you sleep, your skin produces new collagen, which wards off sagging. According to dermatologist Patricia Wexler, that’s part of the healing and repair process. More collagen implies plumper skin that is less prone to wrinkles.
Sleeping just 5 hours per night can result in twice as many fine lines compared to resting for 7 hours. It also makes skin drier, which could also make lines more visible, according to Wexler.
2. A Beautiful Skin Tone
While you sleep, your body increases blood flow to your skin, giving you a healthy glow when you wake up. If you don’t get enough sleep, your skin can look lifeless, drab, or ashen. Sleep deprivation decreases blood flow to the skin around your face. Skin becomes dull, and you no longer have rosy cheeks.
3. Eyes that are brighter and less puffy
You’ve probably had dark eye bags or circles under your eyes after a night of sleeping too little. When you don’t sleep, among the first things you will notice is puffy eyes. If you get enough rest, you’ll have much less puffiness beneath your eyes.
4. Fuller, healthier hair
According to Breus, lack of sleep can cause hair loss, damage, breakage, and even stunt growth. Blood flow provides nutrients, minerals, and vitamins to hair follicles.
Because sleep deprivation reduces blood flow, the hair gets less food, becomes weak, and has trouble growing according to Breus. Wexler believes that a lack of sleep can lead to increased stress. Stress causes a rise in the hormone cortisol, which can result in hair loss.
5. Appearance: Happier, Healthier
Sleep deprivation causes the corners of your mouth to droop, which makes you appear sadder than you would after a proper night of sleep. Your facial expressions start changing in subtle and consistent ways whenever you’re exhausted.
We tend to frown and furrow our brows more. Exhaustion can also be indicated by red, swollen eyes, sagging eyelids, dark circles, and paler skin.
6. Products Perform Better
Because it is not attempting to protect itself from the sun or free radicals as you sleep, your skin can concentrate on restoring itself. Blood flow is also more consistent, which allows your skin to benefit from the flesh-repairing substances in your beauty products, according to Wexler.