Aging is inevitable. But youthful skin and gracefully aging are in your hands. As we age, we naturally lose the elasticity in our skin and begin noticing some nice little “life-lines” aka wrinkles peeking out. However, the degree to which we lose the elasticity of our skin and how many wrinkles show up is up to us!
One of the easiest lifestyle techniques to employ to maintain supple skin is receiving 7+ hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. Sleep is crucial for all aspects of health and is especially important for our skin health.
3 Hormones That Impact Your Skin During Sleep:
- You’re probably familiar with the hormone melatonin, which is secreted by the pineal gland, helping you to fall and stay asleep. Did you know that your skin contains melatonin receptors and melatonin regulates your skin’s structure? Melatonin stimulates cells that produce collagen and elastin, which are needed for firm skin. Additionally, melatonin is a powerful antioxidant and it can prevent oxidative damage to your skin from our lifestyles and the environment, which causes a faster aging process.
- During deep sleep, the pituitary gland secretes growth hormone, which repairs body tissues. During the day, we have protein breakdown and during sleep is when growth hormone goes to work to restore any damage to the skin from the day.
- Cortisol levels are naturally at their lowest during sleep. When we don’t receive uninterrupted sleep or receive too few hours of sleep, we end up raising our cortisol levels, which causes protein breakdown and inflammation, and therefore, faster skin aging.
Practice great sleep hygiene to prevent your skin from aging more rapidly. If you are having difficulty falling or staying asleep, contact me and we can discuss why you are not receiving high-quality sleep.
Stay tuned for how exercise, nutrients, and natural skin care routines will also help maintain radiant skin.
In the meantime, get some Zzz’s on and sleep your way to beautiful youthful skin!
Be well,