Most people are familiar with the idea of “getting their beauty sleep,” but few realize that this common phrase has its roots in a real phenomenon. Getting the right kind and amount of sleep is actually one of the easiest and least expensive skin treatments you can experience, but almost no one takes advantage of it.

Sleep and Your Appearance

You may already have noticed that when you don’t get enough sleep, it shows up in your complexion. Chronic undersleepers tend to have sagging skin, dark circles under their eyes, and an overall “tired” look. That occurs because too little sleep makes your blood vessels dilate and increases stress levels. The result is an increase in unhappy expressions and a tendency to bruise under the eyes.

Contributing Factors

Getting too little sleep is definitely bad for your looks, but the situation gets worse when you add in other outside factors. If you stayed up too late to go to a party or a bar, the alcohol and increased exposure to tobacco smoke could make the issue more serious. Both of these substances can do significant damage to your skin. They can also affect the quality of your sleep, making what little you get much poorer in quality.

Why You Need Beauty Sleep

You don’t have to put up with the damage late nights and bad habits have done to your skin. In fact, you can fix them just by paying attention to a few lifestyle factors and getting the sleep your body craves. After all, sleep is when the body can repair itself, rebuilding damaged cells and revitalizing your skin. When you don’t get enough sleep, those repair processes become disrupted, speeding up the aging process.

Chronic sleep problems can also lead to a variety of different mental and physical health problems that aren’t related to your appearance. That’s another reason to start getting the right amount of sleep and take care of your body properly.

Repairing Your Skin

Fortunately, your skin is one of the fastest-recovering parts of your body. Just one good night’s sleep could help you look and feel significantly better. While it won’t repair the damage completely, you may be surprised by how many compliments you get.

How Much Sleep?

Many people think that if a few extra hours of sleep are good for them, more will be better. That’s true only up to a point. Everyone has a natural sleep requirement to help them feel rested and ready for the day. This can be as little as six or seven hours for some people and as much as nine or 10 for others, but the average is about eight.

For most people, getting 10 or 11 hours of sleep is actually detrimental, making them look and feel groggy and extra tired. Instead of overdoing it at night, consider a short afternoon nap to revitalize you for the rest of your day. It’ll help you keep from getting too much sleep and boost your productivity.

Getting Effective Beauty Sleep

How you sleep can be just as important as the amount of rest you get. After all, poor quality sleep is rarely helpful and can leave you feeling even more exhausted. Make sure you get into a good sleep habit and choose positive, restful bedtime behaviors. Work to sleep on your back or choose ultra-smooth pillowcases that won’t press into your face.

Avoid irritating dyes and perfumes in your sheets, since they can irritate your skin, and never fall asleep in front of the television or while using the computer. These simply steps can help you get truly high-quality sleep and start looking your best.

Beauty Sleep Rituals

If you want to get the most out of your nighttime beauty regimen, spend a ltitle time preparing before you go to bed. Use a mild or exfoliating cleanser to remove th dirt and debris of the day from your face and hands. Apply a retinoid cream if you’re concerned about lines and the appearance of aging, then moisturize your skin to keep it looking its best.

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