Beauty sleep is real! When it comes to your beauty routine, sleep may be the closest thing there is to a secret youth elixir. There is a caveat though...getting enough sleep. 7-9 hours seems to be the magic number of sleep hours you need to get optimum rest and repair for your body and ultimately your skin. During sleep we heal our bodies via highly complex interactions of hormones released when we get our shut-eye. Our sleeping bodies undergo multiple regenerative repair cycles that can have a profound impact on our health and wellness.
In the first three hours of your sleep cycle your body produces human growth hormone from a gland in your brain called the pituitary gland. This hormone is vital for young children as they literally grow in their sleep. As we age this hormone takes on very important anti-aging functions which help maintain youthful and radiant skin. The next two hours of sleep is when the hormone melatonin is secreted. Melatonin is the key regulator of your circadian rhythm or sleep/wake cycle. A powerful antioxidant it protects the skin from the daily damage of pro-oxidant free radicals which would otherwise wreck major aging damage on the skin.
The last hours of sleep is when we enter the REM sleep or dream stage of sleep. The stress hormone cortisol drops during this time and the body's core temp drops to its lowest level allowing muscle relaxation and giving skin it deepest recovery of the night.
Below are a few tips for better sleep and better skin
1. Get into a good routine with a set bedtime to get your goal 7-9 hours
2. Invest in comfortable bedding and keep your bedroom cool
3. Wash your face every night and apply your skin care treatments 30 min prior to hitting the pillow to allow active ingredients to soak into the skin
4. If you have trouble sleeping avoid screen time in the last 60 min before your bedtime and focus on quiet time to relax yourself to la la land...
If you desire the benefits of a good night's sleep but have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep do seek care with a medical doctor to help diagnose any sleep disorders you may be experiencing.
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