Did you know that God, amongst his countless creations, also created a product for your skin? Unlike human made products targeting either only oily, dry, combination or sensitive skin, it’s the one product made for all skin types. It’s not something new, it’s as old as human itself. It does not contain any Paraben, Sulphate or any other harmful chemicals either. And… It’s completely Free! Any guesses what it might be? Well, it’s no brainer. It’s Called BEAUTY SLEEP.
Our body craves Beauty Sleep as strongly as it craves food, except, we can control hunger and stretch it for as long as 20 days and still survive, but no sleep for even half of this duration, may lead to death. Furthermore, if you are tired, your body can force you to sleep, even if you are in an important meeting, behind the wheel or busy saving the world. What’s surprising is that your body engages in microsleep episodes for one or two seconds while your eyes are open. So, simply put, we literally have little to no control on our sleep.
Now, enough about the importance of sleep alone, let’s try to understand…
What only one-night-sleep-deprivation can do to your skin?
A study was conducted in 2017, with an aim to understand the effects of one night sleep deprivation taking into account the following parameters:
- Trans-epidermal water loss
- Facial pore size
- Skin tone
- Hydration
- Elasticity
- Translucency
- Blood flow
24 healthy females participated in this study and the effect on each individual was observed after normal sleep pattern and after one night sleep deprivation. Fast forward, here are the changes observed on each parameter taken into consideration at the time of this study:
- Trans-epidermal water loss: Decrease in TEWL
- Facial pore size: Noticeable Increase in Pore Size
- Skin tone: Decrease in Skin Lightness
- Hydration: Decreased Hydration
- Elasticity: Decreased Elasticity
- Translucency: Decreased Translucency
- Blood flow: Decreased Bood Flow
Not only these but some negative observations were also made in eyes, lips and cheeks. It’s worth emphasizing that these negative effects on your beautiful skin were a result of ONLY ONE NIGHT SLEEP DEPRIVAION.
Now, Imagine the results if this same study is conducted on people like us who are pulling an all-nighter for months, yawing all the time and nodding off uncontrollably at any time of the day, as a result of days/months long sleep deprivation. Can you image the effect this would have on our skin? Think about it.
What is Beauty Sleep and What does it have to do with your skin?
We are always in search of a better product than the last one we used for a brighter, smoother, wrinkle free and a beautiful skin but, if you think about it, most precious things in this world are also the most basic and available in abundance and these are easily ignored, because we as human beings have a tendency to weigh the value of something by its perceived value by others. Such a thing that is free and of high value is Beauty Sleep which, in simplest terms, is nothing but getting enough sleep to get the benefits that come along with it, which further greatly contribute to a healthier skin.
What are the Benefits of Beauty Sleep?
Skin Repair and Regeneration:
While we enjoying beauty asleep, our body releases growth hormones which stimulate cell regeneration and repair our skin which further replace damaged or worn-out cells, leading to improved skin and appearance.
Collagen Production
Collagen is protein which provides strength and elasticity to our skin. During beauty sleep, our body releases growth hormone which ultimately supports the production of collagen, leading a firmer and a more elastic skin.
Reduced Inflammation
Beauty Sleep influences the production of cytokines, which are signaling molecules involved in inflammatory pathways. Adequate sleep balances the production of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, leading to a reduction in skin inflammation.
Improved Skin Barrier Function
The skin’s barrier functions are ability to retain moisture, protection against environmental factors and maintaining body temperature etc. While we are lost in beauty asleep, our body produces ceramides and other lipid molecules that form the skin’s protective barrier. Sleep also promotes the repair of damaged skin barrier components, such as the stratum corneum, leading to improved barrier function.
Increased Blood Flow
Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to skin cells which further supports skin function and keep your skin healthy and nourished and also Improve Skin Hydration. When we are asleep, our body triggers the release of substance responsible for relaxing and dilating vessels which further result in increased blood flow and a healthier skin.
Reduction in TWEL
Trans-epidermal water loss, refers to loosing water from the skin which leads to dryness and impaired skin barrier functions. Beauty sleep helps inhibit TWEL and supports skin hydration which further maintain skin integrity.
Optimized Melanin Production
Melanin is one of the hormones released by pineal gland during sleep which protect skin from oxidative stress and UV damage. The production of this hormone is regulated by body’s internal clock with levels, peaking during night time beauty sleep.
Conclusion:
Regardless of which personal care product you use to for a healthier skin, which regime you follow for a brighter skin and which supplements you use to support the core functions of your skin, if you are not complementing it with 7-9 hours of beauty sleep, it is less likely that you’ll have a permanent fix to your skin related concerns. So, prioritize Beauty Sleep over any other product, routine or supplements that may enhance your appearance temporarily.
