Do you have a habit of getting beauty sleep, whether it is 7 to 9 hours of shuteye overnight or even a 20 minute nap in the daytime? If you are familiar with this type of sleep and its ability to energize and rejuvenate, then you will find that ‘beauty sleep’ is more than just a term; it is a necessity for you to have a healthy life.
The University of California Berkeley has found that “as we grow old, our nights are frequently plagued by bouts of wakefulness, bathroom trips and other nuisances as we lose our ability to generate the deep, restorative slumber we enjoyed in youth…the unmet sleep needs of the elderly elevate their risk of memory loss and a wide range of mental and physical disorders,” said the university publication Berkeley News on its website news.berkeley.edu. “Nearly every disease killing us in later life has a causal link to lack of sleep…We now see sleep, and improving sleep, as a new pathway for helping remedy that.”
The university also noted that while quality or beauty sleep is linked to a healthy life, “sleep deterioration has been linked to such conditions as Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and stroke,” along with more tangible symptoms like wrinkles and gray hair.
Healthline backed these findings. Its website healthline.com cited a 2017 study which found that two days of sleep deprivation “negatively affected [the] participant’s perceived attractiveness, health, sleepiness and trustworthiness.”
The scientific explanation for quality sleep and youthful looks
1. Get a full night’s sleep
The links behind quality or ‘beauty’ sleep to a healthy life and youthful looks have long been known. However, awareness of the science behind this link is relatively recent. “Sleep is the time when your body repairs itself. This is true for your epidermis as it is for your brain or your muscles,” said healthline.com, which recommended between seven to nine hours of sleep. “During sleep, your skin’s blood flow increases, and the organs rebuilds its collagen and repairs damage from UV exposure, reducing wrinkles and age spots.”
Healthline also suggested keeping your skin from getting exposed to the sun or other light source as you sleep. “Sleeping with your skin directly exposed to the sun in the morning, or during naps, can have a damaging effect on your skin’s health and appearance…[while] sleeping in a lighted room can disturb sleep and sleep rhythms.”
WebMD.com backed healthline.com. “Skin makes new collagen when you sleep, which prevents sagging…More collagen means skin is plumper and less likely to wrinkle,” said the website. “Only getting 5 hours [of sleep] a night can lead to twice as many fine lines
as sleeping 7 [hours of sleep] would. It also leaves skin drier, which can make lines more visible.”
2. Adequate sleep for a glowing complexion
WebMD.com pointed out that quality sleep can do wonders for your complexion. “Your body boosts blood flow to the skin while you snooze, which means you wake to a healthy glow. Skimp on sleep and your complexion can look drab, ashen or lifeless,” said the website. “Sleep deprivation causes a decrease in blood flow to the skin surrounding your face. Skin becomes dull, and you don’t get those rosy cheeks anymore.”
Healthline added that washing your face before bedtime can help maintain your complexion. They warned that not doing can leave irritants building up on your skin throughout the day overnight. The effects include:
The website added that cleansing your face will only require a “gentle cleanser to remove dirt, makeup and extra oil.” Healthline also recommended using an overnight moisturizer on your face and a glass of water nearby to stay hydrated, as “washing your face can dry it out and sleeping can also dehydrate skin.”
The amount of sleep you get is also linked to an impression of your overall wellbeing, specifically a “happier, healthier appearance…[sleep deprivation] can cause the corners of your mouth to drop, making you look sadder than you do after a good night’s rest,” WebMD.com observed. “When you’re tired, your facial expressions change in subtle and consistent ways. We tend to furrow and frown more.” They add that people who get inadequate sleep are also perceived as less healthy.
3. Brighter, less puffy eyes
WebMD.com noted that sufficient, quality sleep can reduce swollen eyes and discolored dark circles under them, as well as hanging eyelids, which build up from inadequate slumber. “When blood isn’t flowing well - which happens when you’re low on sleep - it can collect under eyes and become visible, since the skin there is so thin,” said the website, which added that discoloration is caused by genes, age and increased melanin, with inadequate sleep making the issue worse.
Aside from enough rest, WebMD.com recommended that you “stay well-hydrated and elevate your head with a pillow” to reduce swelling under your eyes.
Healthline reiterated WebMD.com’s findings. They found that elevating your head can ease snoring, acid reflux, and nasal drip, issues that bother the quality of your sleep and your skin. The website also suggested sleeping on your back, as putting your face on the cotton surfaces of your pillowcases or bedsheets can “irritate your skin and compress your face for long hours at a time, resulting in wrinkles [to your face].” Healthline recommended using skin-friendly pillowcases from satin or silk to minimize skin irritation, copper-oxide pillowcases to reduce crow’s feet and other fine lines that might occur.
4. Healthier, fuller hair
Research has found that quality sleep - or lack of it - has as much effect on your hair as it does on your skin. “Hair loss, [hair] breakage, damage, and even growth can all be affected by lack of sleep. Hair follicles [where hair growth begins] gain nutrients, vitamins, and minerals from blood flow,” said WebMD.com. “Since blood flow decreases when we’re short on shut-eye, hair gets less food, it weakens, and it has difficulty growing.” The website added that insufficient sleep can cause more stress, which “causes an increase in the hormone cortisol, which can cause you to lose hair.”
5. Help skin care products work better
WebMD.com noted that the rejuvenating element of quality sleep helps skin care and beauty products do their job.
“Your skin can focus on repairing itself while you sleep, since it isn’t defending itself from sun and free radicals [harmful molecules from the environment]. Blood flow is also more consistent [during sleep], and this helps your skin benefit from the flesh-repairing ingredients in your beauty products,” said the website.
WebMD.com also suggested using creamy moisturizers before bed and staying hydrated, as your skin loses more water during sleep than during your waking hours in the daytime.
Conclusion
Beauty sleep might be better known as an informal, even sarcastic phrase, but their health benefits are as real as they are tangible. Whether it be a 2-minute nap or 7 to 9 hours of continuous sleep, this form of slumber is known to have rejuvenative qualities, as your body repairs itself during a snooze. This includes increasing blood flow through your body, improving your hair, your complexion - particularly dark circles or swelling under your eyes - and improves your overall sense of well-being, inside and out. However, moisturizers are essential because
the skin loses water during sleep, as are a glass of water to keep from getting dehydrated, especially during the daylight hours.
But regardless of how long you wish your sleep to be, King Koil can help with its range of premium quality products. These include mattresses that use its ‘Quality Sleep System’ that revolves around Comfort, Support and Durability to help you get sound, good quality sleep, as well as the New Zoned mattress system to give support.
Premium quality beds such as the Super Premium King Koil Posture Bond or Premium King Koil Spinal Guard will help you get quality sleep. The beds use the All New Signature Gold Response series of beds, which helps through its use of the Auto Response Gold Coil as part of its Auto Zoning System. These innovations provides flexible support by adjusting to pressure from your spine.
These and other products like bed linens, pillows, bolsters and quilts, and mattress protectors are also certified by the ICA (International Chiropractors Association) and the International Sleep Products Association (ISPA) for their health benefits. So drop by the nearest King Koil outlet to get the most out of these products.
