Beauty sleep - Truth or a Myth?

Sleep will always have an effect on how you look and feel. The hours of sleep logged each night and the quality of sleep has a direct connection to the dark circles, dull skin and energy drain you feel - or so you have been told. Some say that ‘beauty’ sleep is simply a myth and that we overestimate the correlation between sleep and skin. Science, however, strongly disagrees. Here’s what it has to say -

It intensely repairs your skin

Throughout the day, the skin is constantly at work, being a protective outer shell for the body. When you sleep, the entire body and by extension the skin switches into ‘repair’ mode. This is when intense recovery and regeneration takes place. Sometimes this process can increase up to 3 times the speed it is during the day! While the body is in ‘repair’ mode, it produces hormones that help to rebuild damaged cells and grow new ones, including those of the skin, nails and hair. The more hours of sleep we log, the longer the body can carry on with the process of restoring and regenerating.

It results in a naturally glowing complexion 
When we don’t get enough sleep, the body is not able to produce the required hormones that help with repair and regrowth. As a result, the signs of reduced sleep and in extreme cases sleep deprivation become very evident in the form of dark circles, dull skin and wispy hair. Moreover, less sleep causes the body to release a hormone that aggravates stress levels which further exacerbate the signs of aging like wrinkles, fine lines and inflammation. Less sleep even affects the moisture levels of the skin, giving it a waxen, lackluster complexion which is why your skin loses its glow.

It leads to a faster overall recovery
While you sleep, the body releases hormones that help to repair and regenerate cells. However, these hormones don’t stop there. They encourage tissue growth as well and speed up the body’s recovery process tremendously. Helping to recover from cuts, abrasions and sore muscles, these hormones are the body’s natural reaction to becoming healthy and stable once again. All in all, after a particularly taxing, exhausting day, a good night’s sleep is the perfect way to get back on track.