The Benefits of Sleep for Skin and Body
We all know that sleep is vital for health- but what are the details? The first signs of getting insufficient sleep are often psychological, cognitive, and emotional. Physical changes might take longer to manifest, but eye-bags might develop pretty quickly in response to being under-slept.
Benefits to the Body
Sleep is a time of repair for the body, so the more you can get, the better. Overnight, the nervous system is in the opposite state to "fight or flight"- it's in "rest and digest". Blood flow can be diverted back to the digestive system and areas that need repairing, as muscles are not in demand. The blood brings nutrients to the areas that require them, and transports the waste away for healthier tissues.
The repair process is driven by hormones and cells from the immune system. Between them, they can target the areas that need help, fighting off infection as well as healing damaged cells. This is why you typically need more sleep when you're under the weather- the immune system can use this time wisely to make a bigger impact than when you're awake.
From the other perspective, lack of sleep is associated with:
- obesity
- type 2 diabetes
- high blood pressure
- heart disease
- stroke
Benefits to Skin
Skin largely responds to sleep in the same way as the rest of the body- by benefitting from its repairing process. There are some specific details about the skin that are of particular note when it comes to sleep:
Collagen is one example of a molecule that is best synthesised overnight. This is key for plump skin, and sign of skin ageing is partly due to the reduction of collagen production over time. Support your overnight repair with a deeply hydrating night cream, or the other products that work wonders but don't sit well under makeup.
In another vein, there are things you can do to benefit your skin overnight beyond sleep itself. If you suffer from breakouts, you might find that washing your pillow cases every time you do any washing helps to break the cycle of bacteria proliferation. If you wash at cooler temperatures, or use a non-bio detergent, you might also feel the benefit of ironing the cases while still damp to steam out any remaining bacteria.
Silk pillow cases have gained popularity recently, mainly within haircare circles, as they snag the hair less than cotton and minimise breakage. They may also benefit the delicate skin of the face due to being made from a less absorbent fabric.
Improving Sleep
Avoiding blue light before bed, keeping your bedroom at the right temperature, and winding down in your last waking hour or so can all help. Rejuvenate Within can help with the winding down part- if you struggle to leave work at work you might benefit from some mindfulness training, or simply a good massage to calm you down. Click the button below to enquire about our holistic therapies and find the one that might just help you switch off a little easier.
