According to Punxsutawney Phil, spring is coming early this year. However, the sun is still down before many of us leave work, and winter seems to be powering through our favorite furry weatherman’s prediction. When it’s this dark and drab all the time, it’s easy to lose track of time and let your sleep schedule slip. We get it – you may need some extra motivation to stay on top of it. That’s why we’re going to walk you through the ways a healthy sleep schedule helps your skin!

Sleep Can Reduce Stress, Help Skin

You’ve probably heard (maybe constantly?) that lack of sleep contributes to stress, which can add to things like acne. But did any of those folks ever tell you how or why that happens? It mostly comes down to a little something called cortisol, which is the primary stress hormone in your body. Sleep deprivation causes your body to produce more cortisol, and in turn, higher cortisol levels (or higher stress) interrupt sleep cycles (vicious cycle, eh?). 

Higher levels of cortisol are also linked to skin inflammation. So, by maintaining a healthy sleep schedule and levels of cortisol, you’re reducing your risk of skin inflammation. This is crucial because inflammation not only causes things like acne but also can weaken the immune system and worsen other existing conditions such as eczema or psoriasis. Furthermore, it can break down important molecules that would usually help the skin maintain its glow.

Subheader 2: It lets your body reset

Sleep is a crucial time for your body to do some natural upkeep. While you sleep, your skin restores moisture, and the rest of your body addresses excess water.  A weak balance in hydration is a significant contributor to things like puffy eyes, dryness, and wrinkles.

Additionally, your body produces more growth hormones while you sleep, which repair damaged cells. However, this primarily takes place during deep sleep, which you don’t achieve if you’re not sleeping long enough each night. The loss of these growth hormones and their reparations can accelerate aging. So, getting a good night’s rest keeps you young!

Sometimes life throws us curveballs, and we get to bed a lot later than we intended. That’s okay! A couple of nights won’t make or break you. What’s most important is developing healthy sleeping habits that you stick to as often as possible. This way, your body can do what it’s built to do: keep you looking – and feeling – healthy.