Why Better Sleep is Essential for Healthy Aging and Beautiful Skin 😴
Beauty sleep should be a priority. We need restful, restorative REM sleep. During sleep your skin’s blood flow increases and skin rebuilds. This is the time collagen is produced at its highest levels. UV damage from the day time is repaired. Adding a couple of important ingredients that can amplify the skin’s overnight metabolic repair.
Night time is a great time for additional antioxidants to stimulate collagen and of course Vitamin A products like Retinol or Tretinoin to turn over cells. As we age, cell turnover slows, and vitamin A will help speed cell turnover and exfoliate. I also love Growth Factors at night because they work best when there is a good micro-environment (which happens when we sleep.) At night, certain cytokines and hormones are boosted while we sleep. This makes the best environment for the Growth Factors to make more Growth Factors. Human Growth Hormone is produced and can be doubled between the hours 11PM and 4AM. HGH is responsible for accelerating skin repair and regeneration. When you're in a deep sleep you can see cell turnover increase between 2AM and 4AM.
Try sleeping on your back. Sleeping on your back can improve spine alignment, tension headaches, improves sinus drainage, can help with snoring and sleep apnea, and sleeping on your back will help avoid creases on your face. I use the sleep and glow which helps cradle my neck and there is a little cut out that helps stop repeated folding on the skin which causes sleep lines. Over the years side and stomach sleeping causes repeated damage to the tissue. I can always tell which side people sleep on because vertical lines on the face are sleep lines. Jowling can be made worse by sleeping on the side because of the heavy weight of the cheek.
Cleanse and Moisturize at night. You need to cleanse off the day's grime, makeup, and pollution off. After you hop out of the shower make sure to use your skincare in order from most active to least active. Use Vitamin A first on dry skin, then seal it in with a nice dense, occlusive, rich moisturizer. Moisturizing at night keeps your skin hydrated and protected. Go towards products with ceramides.
Change your pillowcases regularly. Stuff builds up – hair products, skincare, oils, and all that can clog the pores. Use a silk pillowcase as they are super soft and easy on the skin and hair.
You must have a set sleep time and sleep when you feel tired. You might need to change your habits to have better sleep hygiene. Blue light exposure must be lowered in the evening, about 2 hours before you want to sleep. That means “night mode” on all your devices at about 8PM. (Best practice is NO computer use for 2 hours before bed, but that may be asking a lot in these days of constant scrolling.)
Sleep in a dark room with no EMFs (electro magnetic fields). Turn off the TV, stereo, computers and all electronics, as these frequencies can disturb sleep. DO NOT sleep with your phone charging on the bedside table next to your bed.
Take advantage of morning light. If you have a hard time waking in the morning, you may want to keep the blinds open so you can wake with the sun. Our bodies are programmed to sleep in the dark and wake with sunlight, so if you struggle getting up, make sure the blinds are open. Sunlight exposure programs the melatonin production.
Eat dinner earlier. We need about 4 hours to digest and so your stomach can empty. Early dinner can reduce acid reflux as well.
Having a routine for healthy sleep is essential for healthy aging and beautiful skin. Try it!