Sleeping Beauty- The Benefits of Beauty Sleep
10-09-2010
It is well known that sleep is the ultimate regenerative process, where cells are repaired at their fastest rate. An optimum eight hours of sleep almost acts as an elixir for the body and is thought to combat the severity to which wrinkles appear on the face and neck. A heightened repair process rejuvenates the skin, providing a dewy complexion, associated with youth. There is no substitute for quality sleep, in terms of its influence upon appearance, as it is by far, the best way to achieve a fresh glow, while looking energised and alive.
Silk sheets and intensive night creams are marketed as measures that can slow down the hands of time, together with make-up that promises to mimic the effects of an uninterrupted expanse of sleep. In a society where sleep comes low down on the list of priorities, superseded by television, family and work schedules; products are launched to cash in on a sweeping sleep debt. However, sleep is the most potent and cheapest beauty treatment available, a natural remedy that will ensure you look and feel your best.
Deep sleep otherwise known as stages three and four of a sleep cycle or slow-wave sleep constitutes what is known as ‘beauty sleep’, as the secretion of the growth hormone helps to repair and rebuild body tissues, muscle and bone. During this segment of sleep, many of the body’s cells show an increased production and reduced breakdown of proteins, which are fundamental in repairing damage caused by stress and ultra-violet rays. The circulatory system moves warm blood to the skin as we sleep, just as hot liquid moves through a radiator, which results in a change in skin tone and explains the healthy radiance that can be observed in someone who is asleep.
As well as external benefits, sleep can also keep the mind in top condition. Good mental health is strongly linked to the right amount of sleep. Severe sleep deprivation can severely impact mood, where levels of irritability and depression ratchet up. Insomnia is a condition that can plague night time, as people try to fill up a void, while others lie blissfully in a bed of dreams. Insomnia can affect the quality of life, where the dread of night time replaces the yearning for a soft pillow of a restful retreat. Contrastingly, sleeping too much can be a sign of anxiety and depression, so getting the right amount of sleep is crucial to maintaining a healthy balance, as mood and sleep are dependent on each other.
Quality sleep seems to be the only way to achieve and maintain health that radiates out and through the whole body. Short-cuts seem to be a temporary fix that holds no long-term value. As sleep deprivation builds, it seems that the fountain of beauty becomes simultaneously depleted, while the fabric of mental health becomes frayed.
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