{"id":5671,"date":"2022-11-01T15:51:11","date_gmt":"2022-11-01T15:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bettersleep.org\/?p=5671"},"modified":"2022-11-01T15:51:11","modified_gmt":"2022-11-01T15:51:11","slug":"whats-the-real-deal-with-beauty-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bettersleep.org\/blog\/whats-the-real-deal-with-beauty-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s the real deal with beauty sleep?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Young<\/p>\n

The beauty industry is part of the big B club, i.e., it\u2019s worth billions. The US cosmetic market is worth a staggering $62.46 billion, and sales in face skincare alone are projected to reach $28.16B this year. <\/span>(1,2)<\/span> Given society\u2019s fascination with looking young as long as possible, these numbers aren\u2019t all that surprising.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Here\u2019s the thing – and you may find<\/span> this<\/span><\/i> surprising. One of the most powerful tools for healthy aging, especially when it comes to your face, is absolutely free. It\u2019s beauty sleep. Are you getting yours? Because it\u2019s worth its weight in gold, and we\u2019re telling you why and how in today\u2019s article.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Ready to tap into the power of nature\u2019s best beauty elixir? Here\u2019s everything you need to know about beauty sleep and, specifically, the benefits of sleep for skin that glows.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is beauty sleep?<\/span><\/h2>\n

What is it really? Honestly, it\u2019s not just sleep – beauty sleep is <\/span>quality<\/span><\/i> sleep, which is when our bodies enter a state where the skin, our body\u2019s largest organ, has the opportunity to recover from daytime damage, such as exposure to UV rays or pollution.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Basically, when we sleep, our stress hormone (cortisol) goes down, our sleep hormone (melatonin) goes up, and our body and skin enter repair mode. So, it\u2019s an easy jump to link beauty to sleep. We\u2019ll spotlight the scientific effects of sleep on skin health more later, but first, a little history about the term\u00a0 \u201cbeauty sleep.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A little history.<\/span><\/h2>\n

The concept of beauty sleep dates back to the early mid-19th century (i.e., Merriam-Webster cites mention in Charles White\u2019s 1828 book, <\/span>Herbert Milton<\/span><\/i>) when it was thought that sleep in the hours before midnight enhanced health and beauty. Since then, the beauty sleep meaning has evolved into a tongue-in-cheek phrase for a good night\u2019s sleep that leaves a person looking and feeling refreshed upon waking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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However, does getting a lot of sleep really make you look younger? Let\u2019s check the science.<\/span><\/p>\n

Scientifically speaking.<\/span><\/h2>\n

To answer his question, we have to examine what’s actually happening to our bodies during sleep. What happens at night that promotes healthy aging? Let\u2019s start by examining the body\u2019s sleep cycles and related processes to help explain how sleep and skin health are related.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When we sleep, our body experiences different stages of sleep, all of which are important to the body\u2019s healthy function. Here\u2019s a broad yet simple overview of what the body is doing during each cycle of sleep over 7-8 hours, which is the recommended amount for adults each night.<\/span><\/p>\n

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During the first three hours of sleep, your body starts producing the human growth hormone (somatotropin) from the pituitary gland. As we age, this hormone helps with the maintenance of youthful and radiant skin. Without this hormone release, the skin cannot repair from daily damage, which can accelerate the physical signs of aging.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Next, around the middle two hours of sleep, the body increases melatonin, the hormone responsible for regulating the body\u2019s circadian rhythm (i.e., sleep\/wake patterns). Melatonin also acts as an antioxidant that helps protect the skin from damaging free radicals.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Finally, the body enters the active REM stage of sleep during the final three hours. This stage is when the body\u2019s cortisol levels (i.e., the stress hormone) will decrease, and the skin\u2019s temperature drops to its lowest point. As this happens, the muscles relax and become immobile, which gives the skin its deepest recovery of the night.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tips for better beauty sleep.<\/span><\/h2>\n

As you can see, sleep is critical to healthy aging, and there can be unfortunate physical side effects, like the dreaded sleep deprivation face (i.e., dull skin, puffy eyes). Basically, our body perceives the loss of sleep or lack of quality of sleep as stress – and those stress signals can cause breakouts<\/span>3<\/span> and make skin less capable of trapping moisture, slowing down skin cell turnover.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Wait – does sleep help with acne? Yes, you read that right. The National Library of Medicine published a study demonstrating a correlation between quality sleep and acne severity<\/span>3<\/span>. So, even if you still aren\u2019t <\/span>entirely<\/span><\/i> convinced that the benefits of sleep for skin health are legit, science is busy compiling evidence to support the value of beauty sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The good news is that it\u2019s never too late to prioritize sleep – especially when vanity is involved, right?! Getting a better night\u2019s sleep to achieve the many benefits of sleep for skin is possible and can help you avoid adverse physical side effects like long-term sleep deprivation face<\/span>4<\/span>. So, here are our top tips for achieving better restorative beauty sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n

Practice healthy sleep hygiene.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Sleep hygiene involves the practices and habits contributing to a good night\u2019s sleep, including everything you do throughout the day that can affect your sleep at night. We did a <\/span>deep dive into sleep hygiene<\/span><\/a> in an earlier blog post, but the essentials of healthy sleep hygiene include:<\/span><\/p>\n

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