Written by our guest blogger, Stephanie Sutton, M.D.
Do you ever look in the mirror after a night of poor sleep and say to yourself “What happened?” Lack of sleep not only affects mood and energy levels, but can also affect the skin. The classic sign is dark circles or bags under the eyes, but continued poor sleep can also affect wrinkles, complexion, and pigmentation. Sleep deprivation leads to decreased blood flow to the skin around the face. Also, our body produces new collagen when we sleep. Diminished collagen contributes to sagging and fine lines. A study in Japan published this year showed a significant association between sleep efficiency and condition of the skin.
Sleep can be elusive for some people and stress can affect our ability to sleep. Sleep hygiene is important. Limit caffeine use in the afternoon, decrease screen time at night, and cultivate your bedroom to become a sleep-inducing environment. The goal is to get about 8 hours of sleep per night. Next time you are debating between watching another episode of your favorite show on Netflix at night versus going to sleep, choose the sleep! They didn’t call the Disney princess “Sleeping Beauty” for nothing…
Sources: WebMD, The Truth About Beauty Sleep; Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, Association between Skin Condition and Sleep Efficiency in Japanese Young Adults
