Sleep is crucial for helping us stay focused at work or school, stay healthy and allow our bodies to rest and rejuvenate after long days. But in addition to that, there is also the idea of beauty sleep. But is it true? Does getting a good night’s sleep actually have an impact on how we look?
Unfortunately, there are a lot of myths in the space, and some are divided. Some feel it certainly helps, while others are confident that the benefits are blown out of proportion. With that in mind, let’s go over some of the most common myths about beauty sleep to help you learn the truth.
Chapter Overview
Sleep Has No Impact On How You Look
This is the most common and potentially harmful myth, so we figured that we would get it out of the way first. Many people claim that sleep has no impact on how you look, but this is simply not the case. Research has shown that those who are sleep-deprived are generally viewed as less attractive and in worse health than those who had a full night of sleep. A lack of sleep can lead to puffy eyes, dull skin, and large eye bags.
Sure, some may overrate the importance of beauty sleep. It is not going to take decades off of your skin, and won’t instantly give you perfect skin after one night. But there is no doubting people that get a good night’s sleep regularly, normally look better and healthier than those who barely sleep.
How You Sleep Doesn’t Matter
So now that you know sleep is good for keeping your skin looking great and youthful, as long as you sleep for 7-9 hours a night your skin will improve, right? Well, that isn’t exactly the case. While the amount of sleep is important, so is how you sleep and the actual quality of your rest.
If your sleep is restless, or you can not get as comfortable as you should, your 7-9 hours might not be as good as someone else’s. To ensure your sleep is good quality, you should be sleeping in a dark and quiet room, should have a soft and supportive pillow, and the right mattress for how you sleep.
For example, if you are a stomach sleeper, be sure to get one of the mattresses that, according to a Shape blog, won’t give you back pain. This can ensure you are comfortable and get a full night of sleep to help your skin look incredible.
Sleep Only Helps Your Skin
Another myth that exists out there is that while sleep is good for your skin, that is it. However, this too is not accurate. In addition to helping your skin, sleep can also work wonders for both our hair and our nails. It can help nails grow longer and stronger, and help our hair grow as well and appear healthier.
Also, when we sleep, our bodies release hormones that help us recover from injuries. For examples, things like cuts, bruises and even sore muscles can heal quicker if people are getting appropriate levels of sleep. Of course, the other benefits of sleep (such as increased awareness and better productivity) also exist.
You Need More Than a Simple Night’s Sleep to See Improvement
Another myth is that you need more than sleep in order to see improvement. Many are under the impression that the use of a sleep mask or night cream is the only way sleep can improve your skin. While these can help in some cases, sleep on its own can produce some great results for most people.
As long as your face is clean before bed, you should awaken looking and feeling better. While these masks and night creams can sometimes offer better results, they also come with a cost and aren’t always the most affordable.
In conclusion, we hope that this article has been able to help you dispel some myths about beauty sleep, and showed you just how important sleep can be for how you look.