The connection between ample, good-quality sleep and healthy skin is undeniable. Here are five strategies to maximize your snooze time for a healthier, more youthful complexion.
Getting a good night’s rest is critical for your overall health and well-being, but it also turns out there’s some scientific truth to the notion of beauty sleep. “Our skin rests and repairs itself while we sleep,” says Francesca Fusco, MD, a dermatologist and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai in New York City. “With no UV [ultraviolet] exposure and no dynamic facial muscles contracting, it’s the best time of day for skin.”
Dr. Anna Persaud, PhD, sleep expert and CEO of ThisWorks, a beauty and wellness product brand, agrees. “Overnight, skin goes into repair and restore mode, meaning it removes toxins, repairs cell and DNA damage caused by the environment, replaces aging cells, and creates new ones. That’s why after good-quality sleep, skin looks fresher, younger, and more radiant.” According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults need seven to nine hours of sleep per night.
If you try to cut down on the amount of sleep your body needs to function at its best, your skin will show it. “Then, overnight repair is compromised and we quickly see the impact of this, for example in the appearance of dark circles under our eyes, changes in skin texture, dry skin, and the onset of fine lines and wrinkles,” adds Dr. Persaud.
And when you’re looking at the snooze-specific bodily functions, it’s important to keep in mind a few hormones produced, particularly cortisol. “Cortisol levels decrease while we sleep, so if you don’t sleep then cortisol levels will remain high,” says Joshua Zeichner, MD, head of clinical and cosmetic dermatology at Mount Sinai hospital in New York City. “This may interfere with wound healing, promote early aging, and even lead to acne flares.” A review published in June 2014 in the journal Inflammation & Allergy Drug Targets even suggested that elevated cortisol levels — that are directly associated with stress — can lead to a greater risk of the skin condition psoriasis and slow wound healing time by a whopping 20 percent.
Also important to note, says Dr. Zeichner, is that traditionally, “cell turnover and likely collagen production increases in the evening.” So by the same token, when sleep is compromised, so is cell turnover and collagen production, which helps skin feel firmer and the complexion to have a plumper, more youthful look. As past research has pointed out, collagen production decreases with age.
But there are ways to maximize your seven to nine hours of shut-eye to help your skin reach its healthiest — we turned to the experts to steal their secrets.
1. Reach for an Overnight Moisturizer With Hyaluronic Acid
It’s imperative to develop a skin-care routine that focuses on moisturizing and regenerating skin. These aspects are integral to helping slow the signs of aging, says Persaud. Hyaluronic acid, she says, “helps to bind water to skin cells.” Translation: This ingredient is the key to attaining a dewy, healthy glow.
Zeichner agrees, noting that the superstar ingredient “is a humectant, which means that it pulls in water to hydrate the skin — in fact, it can hold 1,000 times its weight in water." That makes it a great ingredient to apply before bed, when your skin is at its driest.
2. Choose High-Thread-Count Cotton Sheets (or Splurge on Silk Pillowcases)
“It has been well documented that softer sheets may have skin aging benefits,” says Zeichner. “As the skin wraps against your sheets, there are frictional forces that may lead to folding and wrinkling of the skin.” Although you have a wide range of sheets at your disposal, those with a thread count of 200 to 800 are considered good, with some occasionally topping 1,000. Rule of thumb: The higher, the better. And if you really want to splurge, try a silk pillowcase, which will provide the most slip between your skin and the bedding.
3. Use Products With Vitamin C or Vitamin A, Which Can Help Rev Collagen Production
“Vitamin C also helps supports collagen production, so try applying topically,” says Persaud, who also recommends taking a vitamin C supplement to help boost collagen levels as well. Vitamin C may be listed on your skin-care product ingredient label as one of the following: L-ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, ascorbyl palmitate, or retinyl ascorbate.
As a plus, early studies suggest vitamin C’s antioxidant properties may help reverse any damage the sun has imposed on your skin during the day, notes the American Academy of Dermatology, making this ingredient a win all around.
Vitamin A, on the other hand, can help minimize pore size, clear acne-prone skin, and firm dull, sagging skin by boosting collagen production, according to past research. Harvard Health Publishing notes that sunlight inactivates retinoids, increasing the skin’s sensitivity to harmful UV rays, so dermatologists agree using them at bedtime is best. The topical form of vitamin A is a retinoid, and you can find various retinoid creams with a prescription, at your local drugstore or wherever you like to buy your beauty products.
4. Place a Humidifier on Your Nightstand Before Hitting the Sack
There’s no question that sleep can dry out skin. “When we wake, our skin is at its most dehydrated. This is due to overnight transepidermal water loss,” says Persaud. Transepidermal water loss happens when H2O evaporates from the skin’s surface, also known as the epidermis, per past research. While swilling water during the day is crucial for avoiding dehydration and optimizing your overall health, Dr. Fusco says the best way to mitigate losing any moisture from dry sleep spaces is to employ the aid of a humidifier.
5. Sleep on Your Back, Not Your Side, if You Can Help It
Snoozing in this position prevents your face from rubbing up against the pillow, which can help keep your skin looking smooth. “For those who sleep on their front, fluid can pool, which can lead to temporary swelling, possibly emphasizing under eye bags,” says Persaud. “People who sleep on their sides are likely to notice ‘sleep lines’ on the side that they sleep on.”
But Fusco adds that “with the right pillow and elevation of the head, fluid accumulation and puffiness can be corrected.”
This article was first published on https://www.everydayhealth.com/skin-beauty/can-you-sleep-your-way-healthier-brighter-skin/
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