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Many people have heard the phrase "lack of sleep is the enemy of beautiful skin." It is widely known that sleep is effective for beauty. On the other hand, some people may be wondering, "Why is sleep good for beauty?"
In this article, we will explain in detail the relationship between sleep and beauty. By reading this article, you will understand not only the benefits of sleep for beauty but also the disadvantages of sleep deprivation! Why not take this opportunity to review your own sleep habits?
1. Is rough skin caused by lack of sleep? Check the relationship with beauty!
Have you ever felt that your skin condition is not good when you are sleep-deprived? In fact, skin condition tends to be affected by sleep. Let's take a closer look at the mechanism.
1-1. Lack of sleep leads to rough skin and is bad for beauty
Our skin renews itself in about 6 weeks. This is called turnover.
Growth hormone is essential for turnover. Growth hormone works to repair and regenerate the body, strengthening bones and muscles, as well as keeping skin, hair, and nails healthy. The secretion of this growth hormone becomes active during sleep.
Therefore, lack of sleep reduces the secretion of growth hormone, which hinders turnover. Growth hormone is secreted most abundantly during deep non-REM sleep, which occurs after falling asleep, so both the quantity and quality of sleep are important.
Also, lack of sleep activates the "sympathetic nervous system." This sympathetic nervous system has the function of secreting male hormones, and an increase in their secretion increases the amount of sebum on the skin, making rough skin more likely. ※1
1-2. Reasons why sleep is good for beauty
There is another reason why sleep is good for beauty.
At night, a hormone called "melatonin" is secreted from the pineal gland in the brain. This melatonin is also called the "sleep hormone" and induces sleepiness and promotes the secretion of growth hormone.
Melatonin also has strong antioxidant effects (※2). Antioxidant effects refer to the function of suppressing "active oxygen that damages cells and promotes aging." To ensure proper melatonin secretion, it is important to maintain a regular sleep schedule.
2. Is it true that lack of sleep is bad for beauty?
It is said that lack of sleep not only causes rough skin but also has a negative impact on overall beauty. Why is that? Here, we will explain the relationship between sleep and overall beauty. Beauty is not just about appearance. When your mind is stable, your beauty will increase even more!
2-1. Experiments that actually investigated the relationship between sleep and beauty
Regarding the relationship between sleep and beauty, British bedding manufacturer Bensons for Beds conducted an interesting experiment (※3). The experiment involved having the same person sleep 8 hours a day and 6 hours a day for the same number of days, and then examining their skin and mental state.
As a result, after several days of 8 hours of sleep, wrinkles increased by 45% and spots by 13% when 6 hours of sleep continued. In addition, skin redness increased by 8%.
There are individual differences in the appropriate amount of sleep. However, it has been proven that simply reducing sleep time can cause this much damage to the skin. For example, if you usually get 8 hours of sleep but can only get 6 hours due to a busy work schedule, this much negative impact could occur.
Furthermore, an interesting fact was discovered in this experiment. When sleep time was reduced from 8 hours to 6 hours, 20% of participants reported a decrease in self-esteem. In addition, 33% of participants reported feeling depressed. This means that shorter sleep hours can make one more prone to feeling inferior or having negative thoughts.
2-2. Lack of sleep is the enemy of beauty!
Maintaining beautiful skin is the foundation of beauty. The conditions for "healthy and beautiful skin" include good stratum corneum, epidermis, dermis, and blood circulation. This can be improved by getting adequate sleep. No matter how expensive cosmetics you use when you are sleep-deprived, blood circulation will not improve, and it will be difficult to completely conceal increased wrinkles and spots.
Getting adequate sleep is one of the most effective beauty methods, even without trying every cosmetic product. If you think, "My skin has been rough lately, and my expression is dull," first try to extend your sleep time. Even going to bed an hour earlier than usual might show results!
3. Sleep is not only good for beauty! There are many other benefits
So far, I've explained that sleep is effective for beauty, but the benefits of sleep are not limited to beauty. Adequate sleep is also effective in promoting health. I will explain the relationship between sleep and health.
3-1. Sleep for a body that's less prone to weight gain!
There is a report from a joint research project by the University of Tsukuba and the International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine on the relationship between sleep duration and obesity.
According to the report, when sleep duration is short, there is a desire for "fattening foods" high in sucrose and fat. ※4 Everyone has experienced that when you stay up late, you feel hungrier and have a stronger desire to eat something.
Furthermore, lack of sleep tends to make you irritable. While it's common to want to satisfy cravings with sweets to relieve irritation and feel satisfied, this should be approached with caution.
Maintaining adequate sleep can reduce the desire to eat "fattening foods" and is effective for dieting.
3-2. Sleep also has the effect of reducing the risk of death!
Lack of sleep and obesity increase the risk of developing high blood pressure and diabetes. Also, high blood pressure is a cause of heart attacks and strokes.
The "growth hormone" secreted during sleep, as mentioned in the previous section, not only affects the skin but also has effects such as turning over cells throughout the body, increasing muscle mass, and maintaining normal heart function. In addition, it has been confirmed to have the effect of maintaining mental stability. (※5) Maintaining physical and mental health leads to a reduced risk of death. Let's make an effort to ensure adequate sleep.
4. Tips for getting enough sleep for beauty
Now that you've read this far, I believe you understand how important sleep is for beauty.
However, simply sleeping longer is not enough. The quality of sleep is important.
As mentioned earlier, "growth hormone" is actively secreted during deep non-REM sleep that occurs after falling asleep. This means it is important to improve sleep quality and quickly enter deep sleep after falling asleep (※6). To do so, try the following:
- Try to wake up and go to bed at the same time every day.
- Get sunlight in the morning to activate melatonin secretion at night (morning light promotes melatonin secretion, while night light inhibits it).
- Avoid looking at your smartphone in bed before sleeping (blue light has a wavelength similar to sunlight, which suppresses melatonin).
- Take a bath an hour before going to bed (a warm bath for about 20 minutes can activate the parasympathetic nervous system and make you feel sleepy).
- Use bedding that suits you and helps you relax.
Also, it is not good to sleep in late on holidays to make up for weekday sleep deprivation. While there is a saying "catching up on sleep," if your sleep schedule varies drastically between weekdays and weekends, your body clock will be disrupted and your sleep quality will suffer (※8). Try to maintain a consistent routine as much as possible.
Summary: Get enough sleep for beauty!
This time, I explained that sleep is important for beauty.
Here's a summary of the article's content:
- Lack of sleep is the enemy of beauty.
- Sleep is especially important for maintaining beautiful skin.
- Adequate sleep also promotes health.
- Sleep "quality" is also important.
- Practice what you can to get quality sleep.
If you've been worried about your skin condition, feeling down, or noticing more wrinkles lately, take a moment to review your sleep duration and quality. Simply ensuring adequate sleep might be the solution!
【References】
※1 Skin Trouble Solutions ③ The relationship between sleep and rough skin
※2 File 4: Beautiful sleepers have beautiful skin. Is it true that people who sleep well have beautiful skin?
※3 What happens to a woman's skin when she's sleep-deprived? (Survey results)
※4 Lack of sleep is the enemy of dieting
※5 What happens when growth hormone stops being produced?
※6 Why 'sleeping in on weekends' makes you more and more tired
