New research by Witch Skincare has found that a lack
of sleep not only affects our appetite, energy and concentration
levels, but also directly linked to our skin health.
image:
beautyhigh
The research revealed that just 15%
of women get eight hours (or more) sleep per night, yet 80% say a
good night's sleep makes a huge difference on their skin. Skin
expert Katie McCaffrey, Temple Spa Training and Treatment
Development Manager, says that not enough sleep can age you and
cause breakouts. "If you get enough sleep at night, oxygenation
happens where blood rises to surface of the skin, being fed with
nutrients and oxygen. If you're not getting that overnight, skin
will appear duller in the morning and premature ageing is more
likely to occur as the oxygenating process isn't having the full
effect, leaving skin looking unhealthy and lackluster."
In regards to a break out of spots,
which 43% of us blame bad sleep on, it could be because detoxing
also happens at night for the skin, "therefore without enough sleep
there will be a build-up of congestion and bacteria," Katie adds.
The more restoration your skin has
at night the better, but think quality over quantity. "At night
time the skin regenerates itself, but this only happens when we're
in a deep state of sleep, not disturbed. The less deep sleep you
have, the less your skin will regenerate and repair itself", Katie
warns.
Here are some top tips from our
sleep expert, Dr Nerina, on how to get a good night's sleep, so you
can look your best:
- Try and get yourself in to a regular wind down routine and you
will notice a huge difference to the quality of your sleep. Read a
book, listen to relaxing music, have a bath and use some relaxing
essential oils such as lavender to help promote sleepiness.
- Your bedroom is your personal sanctuary. Try
not to bring your work life into the bedroom and try to turn off
all technology 90 minutes before bed. All technology including
laptops and mobile phones should be kept out of a bedroom to keep
it a calming, relaxing sanctuary for sleep.
- Caffeine can take up to 10 hours to leave your body, so if you
are having problems sleeping or are waking up feeling tired no
matter how much sleep you get, minimise caffeine and increase your
fluid intake by drinking more water, herbal teas and dilute fruit
juices.
For more helpful sleep tips, visit
our Sleep Toolkit.
