Sleep makes you pretty!

Beauty sleep is not just a myth and the demands of ‘beauty queens’ are not as over-the-top as you may think…or at least, that’s what scientific studies show.

Have you noticed that in addition to feeling fresher, your face looks better after a restful night’s sleep? Well, you’re not the only one who can see that.

Participants in a study have identified that sleep-deprived people look more exhausted, less attractive and even sad! After a night tossing and turning, you’ve probably even had people tell you that you look tired and ask if you’re OK. The cues are quite obvious – from a swollen and pale face to wrinkled eyelids, dark circles under the eyes and droopy corners around the mouth.

But that’s not all. Lack of sleep has been found to weaken the skin’s ability to recover itself thus increasing the signs of ageing. So if you want smooth, flawless skin and a fresher looking face, rethink your sleep habits!

As an added bonus, healthy slumber will make you smarter. While our consciousness is in dream-world, our brain uses this time to recover and recuperate. How else do you think it manages all those high-level tasks you’ve got while you’re awake? During this downtime, your brain also ‘consolidates’ memories. In other words, this is when it learns, understands and remembers what happened throughout the day.

So wise up and set a structured sleep routine! Slip into your PJs on and drift off to the magical world of dreams!

Written by Ruth Tongue

(MSc Nutrition)

Sources:
1. http://www.bbc.com/news/health-11993944
2. http://www.uhhospitals.org/about/media-news-room/current-news/2013/07/estee-lauder-clinical-trial-finds-link-between-sleep-deprivation-and-skin-aging