Sleep is for the weak, they say. Only, that’s not true. If anything, sleep is for the healthy and the beautiful.
As a kid, I used to watch and read a plethora of celebrity interviews about their beauty and skincare secrets, and one pattern I found common in the answers of all of the celebrities was that they said that they slept a lot. As I grew up, I kept hearing more and more about the undeniable benefits of beauty sleep.
It takes much more than just “sleeping a lot” to attain good health and healthy, glowing skin. A good night's sleep can work wonders for your health and in turn for your physical appearance while the effects of sleep deprivation on your skin can be very drastic.
Not only will you look fresh but you will also feel fresh and your spirits will be lifted if you get a good rest which will reflect well on your resting face. Your energy will be better as well, making you feel and look all the more attractive, not just physically but also energetically.
So, without further ado, let’s discuss the effects of sleep deprivation on skin and sleep patterns that can help you elevate your skincare game!
#1. Effects of sleep deprivation on skin - Dark Circles
Getting dark circles is one of the most horrifying effects of sleep deprivation on the skin. A bad night can literally have you looking like an actual zombie or one of the possessed characters from a horror movie.
When you don’t get enough sleep at night, your skin cells don’t turn around and regenerate as they are supposed to, causing your blood vessels to dilate and giving you a blue eye. Not the pretty kind.
To avoid that, one must sleep for at least 7 to 9 hours every night for better physical and mental health and an enhanced quality of skin.
Another thing that I feel is very underrated and is not talked a lot about is the fact that if you go to sleep around the witching hour and then get up in the afternoon, and call it a day because you slept for the right amount of hours, then you’re not doing enough.
Sleeping after midnight disrupts the cycle of your body clock, also known as the circadian rhythm which is naturally aligned with the hours of our days and nights, and it’s considered very important to sleep before midnight and then wake up when the sun rises so that your skin can get sun kissed from those early rays of the day. Some studies also say that getting sunlight early in the morning also reduces the chances of getting cancer.
If you already suffer from dark circles, you should treat your eyes with two cool pieces of cucumber slices to depuff your eyes. You can also try cold teabags or ice cubes to keep under your eyes.
#2. Effects of sleep deprivation on skin - Skin Imbalance
The effects of sleep deprivation on your skin can be seen from the skin pH imbalance that your skin goes through when you don’t get enough sleep. Your skin repairs itself by regenerating your skin cells and hydrating your skin. The effects of sleep deprivation on your skin will then get reflected in the dullness of your skin, making your face look less youthful and can also cause skin inflammation.
It's important to always drink 2 glasses of water before bed and drink at least one glass of water the first thing after you wake up in the morning to keep your skin looking young and hydrated.
#3. Effects of sleep deprivation on skin - Dull Skin
You can look awfully pale as a result of not getting enough sleep. The effects of sleep deprivation on your skin can drastically reduce the blood circulation in your skin which is neither healthy nor pretty. To steal back that blood rush back into your pale skin, try getting 7-9 hours of sleep, drink at least 8 glasses of water every day and make it a habit to practice gua sha facial massages every day before sleeping to stimulate blood flow for your skin.
#4. Effects of sleep deprivation on skin - Face Lines and Wrinkles
Collagen that produces the elasticity and smoothness of your skin is produced effectively every night when you get a good amount of sleep. When that doesn’t happen, the effects of sleep deprivation on your skin can result in the appearance of wrinkles and lines on your face.
Other than sleeping on time and for more than six hours every night, you could also make sure to moisturize your face every night before going to sleep to let the lotion settle in your skin and hydrate your face. The more you moisturize, the less wrinkles you have.
#5. Effects of sleep deprivation on skin - Under Eye Bags
It’s not bad to sleep in a comfortable situation but it has been noted that when people sleep on their stomachs, their fluids flow under their eyes and fill up causing puffy eye bags, and it doesn’t look cute. This doesn’t just happen when you sleep on your stomach but also as an effect of sleep deprivation on your skin.
If you already suffer from this problem, you can keep two spoons in the freezer for half an hour before keeping the cold spoons under your eyes to depuff the eyebags. Try cold spoon therapy, it’s the move these days!
#6. Effects of sleep deprivation on skin - Pimples
Wondering why you’re getting acne breakouts even after your six-step skincare routine? It’s probably because you’re not sleeping as much as you should.
Effects of sleep deprivation on your skin can be seen from the spike of cortisol or the stress chemical in your body. When the cortisol rises up, your skin reacts into inflammation, over-moisturization, redness and breakouts.
Another thing you could do to avoid pimples other than sleeping the adequate amount is to sleep straight in a supine position, and not on your stomach. When you sleep with your face buried in the pillow, the moisture and the dirt of your hair and your face from the previous days get pulled back into your skin causing more spots and pimples.
Other Sleeping Habits for Better Skin
Hair care routine- If you sleep with oil or hair gel or any other hair product in your hair, make sure to tie your hair up in a bun so that it the hair product or your hair don’t touch your skin while you sleep. When the hair product or your unwashed, greasy hair stick up to your skin, it just adds more bacteria and dirt onto your face, causing breakouts that you might want to avoid. So, keep that in mind.
Silk covers- Invest in good silk pillow covers as silk doesn’t absorb moisture, so any oil or product that you might get on the covers will just come right off. In general, keep in mind to use fresh, washed bedsheets and pillow covers every week for clear, flawless skin.
Clean hands- Make sure to always wash your hands before getting into the bed. Don’t touch anything greasy, gross or dusty before sleeping because you won’t know where your hands will be once you are out and in a deep sleep. Wash your hands well before you sleep, and as much as you can throughout the day if you don’t want to wake up with three new pimples on your face the next day.
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