Getting a good night’s sleep is a basic necessity if you want radiant skin.
WHY SLEEP MATTERS TO YOUR BEAUTY
Sleep deprivation causes stress hormones to proliferate. They cause collagen loss, reducing elasticity and setting the stage for the formation of lines and loose skin. Blood vessels under the eyes can dilate, showing as dark circles.
Your night’s sleep is the time your body and mind get a chance to repair themselves. Your skin’s temperature rises, its blood flow increases, and hormonal and metabolic processes shift into a different gear. Your sleep is a glorious daily process of renewal.
WHY SLEEP MATTERS TO YOUR HEALTH
Not getting enough sleep accelerates your overall aging process.
Tissues are damaged through inflammation, and growth hormones are adversely affected. The effects on your wellbeing are as diverse as mood swings, impaired decision-making, weight gain, and increased risks of diabetes and heart attacks.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta says that given a choice between exercise and a nap to catch up on sleep, he recommends the nap. Not a choice I hope you are forced to make, but a clear sign of the importance of enough sleep.
ARE YOU GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP FOR YOUR BEAUTY?
If you wake up feeling refreshed, and without needing an alarm, you’re giving your body just what it needs.
A good starting point is a great bedtime routine. Start by winding down a couple of hours before bedtime, avoiding bright lights, computer screens and television. A cup of chamomile tea, relaxing music, and meditative thoughts will help give you a restful seven to eight hours of sleep.
Getting enough sleep is fundamental to any anti-aging regimen. It’s a form of loving self-care that we all need.
Sweet dreams.
