Sleep and why it’s so important for skin health
Angela Hodgkiss- Angelique Day Spa and Skin Clinic
I was at a seminar recently where the lecturer said we are entering a new stage in beauty where it is being realised that Sleep is going to be the most sought after beauty treatment. I think they are right. When you consider what happens to our body if we don’t get enough of it, all the creams and treatments in the world cant compare to a good nights rest.
During the day our skin is busy defending itself from sun and free radicals and at night it can focus on repairing the damage and eliminating dangerous toxins. As levels of adrenaline and corticosteroids from the busy day drop, the body starts to produce the human growth hormone –somatrophin which repairs our skin. Quality undisturbed sleep is vital because sleep phases determine the healing and regulating ability. If you are waking every few hours even if you have had 8 hours, your body will not fully recover. During undisturbed sleep somatropin is found to be at its highest level.
Skin makes new collagen during sleep and micro circulation is increased so blood flow in the skin is boosted. Sleep deprivation causes a decrease in blood flow, leaving skin dull, dry and lifeless. When blood flow is increased it will also benefit from skin repairing ingredients in night time products. During sleep the body will rehydrate. Skin is able to recover moisture, whilst excess water in the body is processed for removal. Not getting enough sleep results in puffy eyes and dryness and wrinkles.
Poor sleep can activate the sympathetic nervous system. This is the fight or flight mechanism that increases cortisol levels whilst also suppressing immune system, interrupting digestion and diverting blood flow and oxygen from vital organs. Increased cortisol can contribute to weight gain and is linked to visceral fat. The increased stress hormone also increases the severity of inflammatory skin conditions such as acne, eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis. Increased inflammation interferes with the body’s ability to regulate the immune system and more inflammatory cells in the body can lead to a breakdown of collagen and hyaluronic acid.
Our circadian rhythm is our sleep wake cycle that actually drives the rhythm of our biological activities at a cellular level and certain genes regulate this. As we age scientists have found many of these genes begin to lose their rhythm. Monthly Hormonal shifts and spikes can affect our circadian rhythm. Pregnancy, obesity,hot sweats, stress, anxiety, depression can all affect our sleep/wake cycle.
Tips to help get a better nights sleeps
• Food – Warm milk and chamomile are known for their calming properties. Cherries are a natural source of the sleep hormone melatonin and drinking tart cherry juice has been found to improve sleep duration and quality. Almonds and spinach are rich in magnesium which is known for promoting sleep and relaxing muscles. A high protein snack a few hours before bed may also help as it can provide the l-tryptophan needed for your melatonin and serotonin production. Caffeine, spicy foods are linked with taking longer to fall asleep.
• Stop eating – 3 hours before bedtime to optimise your mitochondrial function and it will lower blood sugar levels, jump start the glycogen depletion process so you can switch to fat burning mode.
• Impact of temperature – Temperature appears to be a major regulator of sleep and timing. Our body’s heat distribution system is linked to sleep cycle. Even lying done induces sleepiness as your body drops to lowest levels after 4 hours after lying down. Scientists believe a cooler room may then be conducive to sleep since it mimics your body’s natural temperature drop. So taking a warm bath 1.5-2 hours before bed can help as it increases core body temperature so when it abruptly drops it can signal your body you are ready for sleep.
• Avoid watching to or using the computer 1 hour before bed because they omit blue light which tricks the brain into thinking it’s daytime. Your brain begins to secrete melatonin between 9-10 pm and the blue light can stifle this process.
• Sun-Make sure you get bright sun exposure regularly. Your pineal gland produces melatonin roughly proportionate to the contract of bright sun exposure in the day and the complete darkness at night. (So if you were in darkness all day long it can’t appreciate the difference and will not optimise your melatonin production. The slightest bit of light can disrupt your pineal glands melatonin production.
Select skin restoring ingredients that work best at night with the skins functions:
• Cell communicators: Retinol, peptides, carnosine, minerals such as magnesium, selenium and zinc
• Restoring: Hyaluronic Acid, ceramides,
• Anti imflammatory and antioxidants such as resveratrol, niacinamide, arnica, chamomile
• Probiotics to help restore flora levels such as yeast extract
• Proteins such as EFAs, peptides, amino acids (creatine, alanine, glycine)
At Angelique Day Spa and Skin Clinic we have a range of products to get the best out of your skin whilst you are sleeping.
Sources: Spa and clinic, APJ
