The role of sleep in having healthy skin
When we only sleep a few hours a night, aside from tiredness and fatigue our mood changes and our daily routine is altered. We underperform both physically and intellectually.
Sleep is a necessity for our body. A lack of sleep can have serious consequences on our health. On a physical level, a lack of sleep increases appetite and is linked with more cases of obesity and diabetes. It also increases the risk of hypertension and heart attacks. In addition to these risks, a lack of rest has a huge impact on our skin, contributing to its notable worsening.
How does a lack of sleep affect our skin?
According to a recent scientific study from the UH Case Medical Center in the USA, a lack of quality sleep speeds up signs of ageing and lessens the skin's ability to repair itself during the night.
A lack of sleep affects the skin's luminosity, making it appear dull. This is due to our body's production of noradrenaline when we sleep poorly or for little time; this substance reduces blood circulation and, as a consequence, oxygenation and delivery of nutrients to the skin, thus leaving our skin looking dried out and unloved. Additionally, a lack of sleep increases stress levels which negatively affect the condition of the skin by causing or worsening dermatological conditions such as acne and atopic dermatitis.
Why do we sleep poorly?
There are different reasons why someone may have insomnia.
- Personal and professional frustrations cause anxiousness that promotes unease and prevents us from sleeping well.
- Day-to-day life brings lots of responsibilities that generate stress and anxiety which directly affect how we sleep.
- External factors. Excessive heat, noise or jetlag can also affect our rest.
- The stress of not getting to sleep. Not being able to get to sleep generates anxiety and despair in itself. We anticipate how bad it will be the next day if we don’t get enough rest and this prevents us from relaxing.
Benefits of a good night’s rest
Sleeping well has many physical and intellectual benefits. Here are some examples:
- Looking good. People that have had a good night’s sleep appear healthier and more attractive than those who have not slept enough.
- Keeping the pounds off. Various experts have suggested that a good night’s rest affects our body mass index (BMI). They say that sleeping more than the required amount (9 hours plus a night) could raise BMI by 0.2 points, whereas a lack of sleep could shoot our BMI up 1.4 points.
- Improving memory. Achieving a deep and restful sleep helps us to form new and creative ideas and to improve our memory.
- The nap, a strong ally. An American investigation published in the International Journal of Behavioural Medicine has concluded that sleeping for 45 minutes a day is beneficial to our cardiovascular system. This is due to the fact that blood pressure is lower when we nap than if we don’t nap. It is for this reason that napping helps to reduce blood pressure problems.
Some tips for sleeping better
Adopting everyday rules helps the body get used to certain habits and aids a good night’s rest.- Follow a routine. It is advisable to keep a sleep schedule, i.e. a specific time to go to bed and get up (on weekends too, if possible). Although the required amount of sleep varies from person to person, between 7 and 8 hours a night is what experts usually recommend.
- Avoid certain foods. Caffeinated drinks, like tea and coffee, and big meals are an obstacle to achieving a good night’s rest. Milk, nuts, bananas and fish are foods that can help us to get a better night’s sleep.
- Get rid of the devices. Using electronic and mobile devices alters sleep; as such we should avoid using them in the hours before going to bed.
- Sleeping on a comfortable mattress and pillow in a dark, well-ventilated room helps us to get a good night's sleep.
