Let’s talk about sleep.
Lauryn’s said it before: her first beauty tip (even before sunscreen) is to get enough sleep. It can be tough to get quality sleep, but when experts recommend that adults get 7 to 9 hours a night…well, you have to make it a priority.
Sleep is CRUCIAL for your overall health. It affects your heart and circulatory system, hormones, metabolism, respiratory and immune systems, AND your thinking and memory. It also plays a role in the look and health of your skin and hair. See? It’s crucial.
But, not everyone gets enough sleep at night due to different stressors and pressures. We have BEEN THERE. The thing is, stress is likely to increase when you don’t get enough sleep, which we definitely don’t want.
Understanding the health benefits of sleep can help you make a conscious effort to prioritize quality sleep even when it’s hard that’s why we’ve got a round-up of beauty sleep benefits to share with you today.
15 Benefits Of A Good Night Sleep
Better Mood
If you want to set yourself up for a good day, there’s no better way to do it than by getting enough high-quality sleep. This is because sleep restores the body and energy levels, which can have a positive impact on your mood.
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Immunity Boost
During sleep, our bodies produce growth hormones that repair our tissues and cells. Our bodies also produce cytokines, which are super important proteins essential in controlling the growth and activity of immune system cells and blood cells. This leads to a stronger immune system for you. A lack of sleep can lead to you missing out on this production, leading to a weaker immune system.
Stress Relief
STRESSED? Life gets crazy and sometimes, there’s tons to worry about. Sleep can help you out here. Researchers found that people who slept for five or less hours were more likely to have higher stress awareness levels, while people who slept for more than five hours had lower levels of stress awareness.
So grab your TSC beauty sleep tea and cozy up for a full night’s rest! Your body and stress levels will thank you.
Balanced Blood Sugar
Did you know that being sleep deprived can impact your body’s ability to produce insulin, increasing the risk for type 2 diabetes? YIKES! Definitely something we want to avoid, if possible. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tells us that insulin is a key player when it comes to developing diabetes.
When you sleep, the body produces insulin, which helps glucose (blood sugar) enter your cells to give you energy. So this one’s a double whammy. Getting enough sleep helps balance your blood sugar, which lowers your risk for diabetes AND gives you an energy boost.
Brain Boost
A major theory on why humans sleep, known as brain plasticity theory, says we sleep so the brain can grow, reorganize, restructure, and make new neural connections. This helps us learn new information as we sleep, leading to better problem-solving and decision-making skills. AKA, sleep is ESSENTIAL for continuing to make good decisions like taking care of your skin and exercising.
Improved Memory
Sleep helps us take our memories from recency to solidify them in our brain for years to come. This is called “off-line learning.” Off-line learning occurs when our brains are at rest, with significant contribution occurring when we are asleep. This study found that skill acquisition was improved after a 12 hour period when that period included sleep.
Enhanced Cognitive Thinking
Did you know the ability to think quickly slows down after only 1 week of not getting enough sleep? That’s right, if you want to be at the top of your game when it comes to reaction time, you have to remember that sleep plays a vital role in you being your best.
Increased Productivity
This benefit goes hand in hand with your improved memory and enhanced cognitive thinking. When you have a faster reaction time, can access your memories easily, and your problem solving skills are on point, you’ll find you can ZOOM through your work. This boost in productivity can help you get more done throughout the day.
If you’re looking for other ways to improve your productivity, check out these unique tips.
Healthy Heart
Keeping your heart healthy is very important as you get older, and sleep is on the American Heart Association’s heart health checklist. This is because sleep can affect many different things that affect your heart, such as diet and exercise. Sleep also lowers your blood pressure, putting more strain on your overall cardiac system.
Athletic Recovery
Growth hormones are necessary for athletic recovery. They repair tissue and likely contribute to muscle growth. If you’re lacking in sleep, chances are your exercise will be lacking, too. Exercising without sleep increases fatigue and the risk for injury, which we are NOT about. If you want to make those gains, you’ve GOT to be getting enough sleep.
Safer Driving
The CDC tells us that about 1 in 25 drivers have reported falling asleep while driving, while many more drive sleep-deprived. This is SUPER concerning, given that an estimated 6,400 people die every year in crashes involving drowsy driving. Better sleep leads to better decision-making skills and fast reaction time, as well as more alertness to what is happening on the road.
Decreased Inflammation
Using your ice roller is a sure way to decrease inflammation and getting quality sleep can do that too. Researchers found elevated levels of mediators of inflammation in people who went without sleep for more than 24 hours, and ALSO saw elevated levels when participants only got 25-50% of a normal 8 hour sleep amount. It’s safe to say sleep disruption can activate inflammation, so getting your 8 hours is crucial not only to feel rested, but also to keep that inflammation down!
Better Balance
If you’re constantly falling over or bumping into things, maybe it’s time to take a look at your sleep quality and quantity. Of course, sleep isn’t going to magically fix clumsiness, but chronic low sleep quality has been found to affect balance control, causing increased postural instability.
More Energy
This one seems obvious, but it’s just so true. If you feel tired all the time, you might just need to get more sleep. This is because one of the important functions of sleep is to provide the brain with increased energy stores. So if you’re not catching enough z’s, you’re probably feeling pretty low on energy.
Reduced Mental Health Symptoms
It’s time to get real serious for a minute. Sleep deficiencies have been shown to be associated with trouble controlling your emotions and behavior, as well as coping with change. It’s also been associated with depression, suicide, and risk-taking behavior. If any of those resonate with you or someone you know, be sure to seek professional right away.
Simply put: it’s mega important to get enough sleep.
Studies show you NEED 7-9 hours of sleep per night, mentally and physically. And you want to be at your best, don’t you? Sleep is essential to take on the day ahead and feel like yourself.
Need some help getting to sleep? Here are some things that Lauryn swears by:
+ red light book lamp or Kindle on dark mode
x, The Skinny Confidential team
+ And if you are running on fumes, here’s how to look less tired.
++ Self-care habits to upgrade your life.
ENHANCE YOUR SLEEP:
