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Your skin cells pull a Jekyll & Hyde routine at night.
During the day, your skin is working to protect itself from things like sun, wind, and pollution. Skin is at a higher pH at this time, and it produces more oil, explains New York City dermatologist Jeanette Graf, MD. "When you sleep, your skin changes -- it goes into renewal mode," she says. There's more blood circulation and less oil production while it repairs all the damage it incurred during the day. On a cellular level, your skin needs sleep to recharge.
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Your skin ages faster (!) when you're sleep-deprived.
The poor sleepers had more wrinkles, uneven tone, and less elasticity, all of which translates to older-looking skin. The difference was significant: good sleepers had (literally) 100 percent better-looking skin, says Elma Baron, MD, director of the Skin Study Center at UH Case Medical Center. Statistically speaking: that's a score of 2.2 (good) for the good sleepers vs. 4.4 (bad) for the bad sleepers (a newborn baby's skin would be a zero).
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Lack of sleep is like a hangover for your skin that never goes away.
And catabolysis is key for calming inflammation -- think: sunburn and puffiness. The Skin Study Center's research found that when the sleep-deprived women were sunburned, their skin stayed red for 72 hours -- two days more than the good sleepers. "Poor sleepers hold onto inflammation longer," says Baron.
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Dream creams amp up your skin's repair cycle.
Sleeping masks are a big trend in skin care right now. If you your skin is especially dry or dull in the morning, the right sleep mask at bedtime can help your other nighttime skin care products work even better by preventing them from evaporating (i.e. transepidermal water loss). A few of our favorites: Dr. Jart Water Fuse Watermax Sleeping Mask, $34, is a gel with a fantastic cooling effect. And Korres Greek Yogurt Advanced Nourishing Sleeping Facial, $45, contains actual Greek yogurt for intense hydration.
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Even if you sleep it off on Saturday, booze wrecks your sleep pattern.
There are five stages we experience in sleep, and each one lasts about an hour and a half. Stage one is transitional -- when you go from being awake to being asleep. Stage two is marked by high brain activity, and your body temperature starts to drop -- it's also when catabolysis (skin renewal) generally peaks. Stage three is the transition between light sleep and deep sleep. Stage four is sometimes called delta sleep -- it's a deep sleep that lasts for 30 minutes. And finally, stage five is REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, when your muscles become more relaxed but your brain becomes more active.
While the importance of REM sleep isn't fully understood, most scientists believe your brain forms memories during this stage. And lack of REM sleep has been linked to depression. But here's the real punch line: the less REM sleep you get, the more tired you feel in the morning.
Sleep experts think alcohol can cause stage four to last longer, which curbs the amount of quality REM sleep you get. "Even one to two drinks before bed could throw you off," says Mingrone. "The longer the time between your last drink and hitting the pillow, the better. "
Want to prevent wrinkles? Wear sunscreen. Want to fight the lines and spots you already have? Try retinol. Blah, blah, blah. You've heard this advice a million times before.
Which is why you'll be excited to learn that scientists have discovered a new anti-ager -- and it doesn't come in a tube. In fact, it's free, easy, and something you're doing anyway: it's sleep.
It's no secret that you look better -- younger, even -- after a good night's sleep. And the opposite is true, as well. Just think of the telltale signs of sleep deprivation written all over the face of any new mother: dark circles, puffiness, wrinkles … you know the drill.
Up until now, scientists haven't connected the dots between lack of sleep and lackluster skin. While the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has declared lack of sleep a national epidemic, contributing to health issues like obesity and heart disease, a new study out of Case Medical Center in Ohio delves into the hows and whys of sleep deprivation and its affect on your skin.
But don't let this news keep you up at night. We've got nine tips that will transform the way you sleep. And we're not talking about snooze-fest guidelines like eating better and working out more. From products that trick your skin into thinking you're getting more sleep to the midnight snack that's actually good for you, you'll be getting a better night's sleep … stat!
Which is why you'll be excited to learn that scientists have discovered a new anti-ager -- and it doesn't come in a tube. In fact, it's free, easy, and something you're doing anyway: it's sleep.
It's no secret that you look better -- younger, even -- after a good night's sleep. And the opposite is true, as well. Just think of the telltale signs of sleep deprivation written all over the face of any new mother: dark circles, puffiness, wrinkles … you know the drill.
Up until now, scientists haven't connected the dots between lack of sleep and lackluster skin. While the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has declared lack of sleep a national epidemic, contributing to health issues like obesity and heart disease, a new study out of Case Medical Center in Ohio delves into the hows and whys of sleep deprivation and its affect on your skin.
But don't let this news keep you up at night. We've got nine tips that will transform the way you sleep. And we're not talking about snooze-fest guidelines like eating better and working out more. From products that trick your skin into thinking you're getting more sleep to the midnight snack that's actually good for you, you'll be getting a better night's sleep … stat!