The weather is getting cooler, and getting out of bed after being the warmest, toastiest burrito for eight hours harder. Here are my two cents on the second best thing known to mankind — sleep. The first, obviously, is golgappas.
So, cosy up for a good read burrito-style, and let’s understand why sleep is the perfect partner for your skin.
During your sleeping hours, your skin decides to have R&R time of its own and goes about boosting your collagen production. Collagen is like magic, or as close to the wizarding world as we can get. Collagen is responsible for your skin’s firmness, bounce and glow.
If you’re a sleep skimper — you rest for seven hours or less — your skin’s disturbed pH balance is giving you a whole new desert of flakiness and dry skin. Depriving your skin of sleep will meddle with its elasticity. If you’re constantly pulling all-nighters, then take it from someone who’s been in the skincare business for 13 years — your skin will remember.
So: Don’t do it.
Also read: Coffee isn’t the friend you think it is. Your skin’s trying to tell you
What sleeplessness does to your skin
When you’re not getting enough sleep, the following vamps make a decided appearance on your skin.
Under-eye dark circles: We’re all too familiar with raccoon eyes; the dark patches that appear under our eyes and make those around you wonder, “Are they okay?”
Dehydration: There’s no point in layering on expensive serums if you’re not letting your skin carry on internal recovery through sleep. Lack of sleep deprives your skin of moisture.
Hollow cheeks and overall dullness: Contoured cheeks are cool, but gaunt and hollowed ones that are a result of a consistent lack of sleep aren’t.
It doesn’t just end there. Poor sleep patterns can trigger all kinds of autoimmune diseases, hair fall, and even diabetes if there’s any such medical history in your family.
So, my advice is: Get your required hours of sleep in.
Kumbhkarans don’t have it easy either
If you thought that sleeping in for 12 hours is the answer, let me cancel that out too for you.
Sleeping for more than eight to nine hours is not a flex for your skin. Oversleeping messes with your skin’s hydration levels — you might just end up looking like a puff pastry.
So, unless you want your face to resemble a pufferfish, figure out the number of hours of sleep your body requires to look its best.
The key is balance.
The snooze glow
Use better bedding: Honestly, silk sheets might seem bougie, but all that goes out the window when you lie down on them. Silk is gentle on your skin and unlike cotton, it doesn’t absorb facial oils. This means that the oil from your skin stays on it, instead of mixing with the bedding material only to later show up as an uninvited guest in the form of acne or rash. Silk sheets and pillowcases help keep your skin hydrated while you’re temporarily chasing adventures in another universe.
Stay hydrated: Yes, I repeat this line in almost every piece I write. Once again — drink water! Hydrating your skin isn’t just about what you apply on it topically; it’s also about what you feed it.
Ditch the coffee itch after 5 pm: Did you know that a caffeine party in your system lasts way longer than you thought? It takes almost 6 hours for half a cup to be out of your system. So, if you find yourself sipping on anything caffeine-related – be prepared to doomscroll well into the night and possibly wake up looking as lost and confused as ever.
Eat the right treats: The right type of snacks will aid you with a fuller trip to Sleepyland. Kiwi, cherries, milk, nuts are all bedtime superheroes when it comes to helping you sleep like a happy sloth.
Your sleep ammo: Magnesium is your friend — your chill pill buddy (literally) that helps your sleep cycle and doesn’t have you waking up looking like someone who poked the bear. Magnesium is present in leafy green veggies, nuts, and dairy. If you’re thinking of using supplements instead, check with your trusted dermatologist first.
No screens before bed: Read that again because I have gone blue in the face repeating this to all my patients. Think of screentime as that incredibly toxic ex — do not let them into your bedroom.
An immunity booster
Your body needs to sleep so it can produce cytokines and antibodies — your friends that fight the good fight against infections and autoimmune disorders.
So, do what you can to maintain your stress levels — write, meditate, breathe in and out a few times before bed.
Sleep is your body’s way of saying: “Hey! I gotcha.” It’s your personal multitasker. So, ditch the doomscrolling, get skin-friendly bedding, and start to think of sleep as a part of your skincare ritual.
Slay glowing, folks!
Dr Deepali Bhardwaj is a dermatologist, anti-allergy specialist, laser surgeon and internationally trained aesthetician. She tweets @dermatdoc. Views are personal.
(Edited by Humra Laeeq)
Dr. Deepali u r the best