Do you have a new year’s resolution to be healthier, happier and have more energy? Well exercise and nutrition aren’t the only things you should be conscious of while trying to achieve these goals, sleep is just as important! Here’s a look at what beauty sleep really means for your skin, body and mood.
Overnight hormone crew
When we clock-out for bedtime, a hormone work force signs in to regenerate, repair and rebuild our bodies. Skipping (or skimping on) sleep is no different than avoiding house repairs, physio, or choosing not to mend torn trousers. It leaves you looking (and feeling) less than your best!
Meet your skins night shift
The ‘corporation of you’ is a 24/7 business. Like the night watchmen and the cleaning crew, some members of your team do their best job when the rest of the place is, well, at rest. They need a full 8-hour shift so they can soothe tired eyes, diminish dark under-eye circles, and freshen-up a listless complexion. See for yourself how sleep gives you a running start to the next day.
Antioxidants take the night shift (or at least the sleep shift!) and metabolize pesky free-radicals. Not calling them in, increases your risk of developing skin cancer, and losing that bright, fresh looking skin you have after your morning shower. It’s not just exercise and good nutrition that keeps your skin looking radiant.
The protein version of the mail department, Cytokines, carries messages between your cells to stimulate healing and regeneration. Even a brief time off the job (i.e. a lost couple hours of sleep) diminishes your body’s infection fighting response, leaving you with blemishes and dull, unrepaired skin. Sun spots will never be in style.
The stress-hormone, Cortisol, increases when we don’t get enough sleep, which leaves you with saggy, washed out looking skin. Wouldn’t we all rather age backwards?
Beautiful bods need sleep too!
Want to maintain your youthful figure? Skip the Ghrelin and choose the Leptin…In other words, get a good night’s sleep. Leptin, the “I’m full” hormone, increases during sleep. Ghrelin, the “feed me” hormone, decreases….and causes the desire for midnight munchies! Besides, it’s not easy to exercise when you’re exhausted, right? There’s an increase in your waistline just waiting to happen.
If exercising is on your to-do list then sleep should be too. When we exercise we tear muscles, and in order for them to heal and repair we need our growth hormones to work hard. Research shows that, among other things, human growth hormone and melatonin, both of which play a big role in tissue recovery and immunity, are produced primarily during sleep.
Concerned about eating right this year? Looking to lose weight or put on some muscle mass? One study conducted in Chicago, USA noted that ongoing sleep deprivation is responsible for a number of changes in the hormonal release and metabolism of humans, especially increased hunger and appetite. In other words, the less sleep you get the hungrier you become. In addition to this, the researchers also pointed out that losing sleep can decrease glucose and insulin sensitivity, two of the most critical factors that are involved in the development and prevention of diabetes, as well as regulating the satiety you feel after a meal is eaten.
Smile! You’ve got the Dream Team on your side!
Smiling brightens our mood and our reflection in the mirror. Depriving yourself of sleep is like shutting down the good mood department completely. Both Norepinephrine and Serotonin decrease with lack of sleep (which in turn makes it harder to get the next night’s shut-eye. Doh!).
These hormones are critical players in both mood and the ability to experience pleasure.
The term “Beauty Sleep” is no cliché. All the expensive face creams and make-up in the world won’t do the trick if you don’t give your hormone team time to do their job at night. The next time you’re feeling a little drab, skip the cosmetic counter and invest in some pillow time!
For an extra boost, snuggle up with the Natura Aloe Dream Mate Pillow .Your skin will thank you for it.
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