The Beauty Benefits of a 7 Hour Sleep

Want to Look Great?

Take a Seven-Hour Nap

Guest post by Brad Krause of Self Caring

 Forget spending your hard-earned money on makeup and hair products that only cover flaws you don’t want the world to see. Instead, get rid of these perceived imperfections naturally and without waving goodbye to your paycheck. Recently, scientists in Israel announced they had cracked the sleep code. As it turns out, the body needs sleep to repair damage to your DNA. This finding is not surprising, and the results of being well-rested are visible.

 A restful retreat

 Before we get into the benefits of sleep, it is important to understand how to set yourself up for slumber success. Your first priority is to clear your bedroom of distractions, such as the television and your cell phone. Instead, have a few books and a traditional alarm clock on the nightstand. You will also want your bedroom to be clutter-free and insulated from outside light -- thermal curtains do the trick here. If you find yourself waking throughout the night because of noise, make sure to have a fan or sound machine nearby that you can switch on to drown it out.

Face the facts

 Your face is one of the first areas to show signs of sleep deprivation. Not sleeping can trigger a body-wide inflammatory response, which can cause breakouts and rashes. Even worse, this inflammation can actually break down hyaluronic acid and collagen, which are two components to healthy-looking skin. Studies show that sleep deprivation impacts your facial appearance, causing dark circles, red eyes, and wrinkles, and serves as a social cue to others that you are tired and run-down. This is thanks to the body’s response to stress which, in part, is to ensure vital organs take precedence in times of duress. When you don’t sleep, your body tries to force more blood into your brain, which can engorge veins, leaving you with swollen, discolored skin where you are most vulnerable to stress damage.

Hello, healthy hair

 Circulation is also a primary factor in healthy hair. When you’ve gotten enough sleep, your scalp enjoys better blood flow, meaning your hair gets everything it needs to look soft, shiny, and luxurious. In the long-term, failure to sleep can affect your locks, as it puts you at a greater risk of stress-related diseases that can inhibit hair growth.

Waist-ing away

 If you are concerned about your weight, you may need to pay attention to your numbers, but not those found on the scale. Take a look at your schedule to see just how many hours of sleep you get each night. If it’s less than seven, you could be thwarting your efforts to stay trim. When you do manage to lose weight while sleep deprived, there’s a good chance that the missing pounds will have come from the sacrifice of muscle instead of fat. Remember the stress we talked about earlier? Well, that also has an effect on the amount of fat that accumulates around your midsection. Dr. Westin Childs explains that cortisol is released in abundance in response to stress. And this hormone is known to trigger a sequence of events that lead to weight gain, specifically around your belly.

Everything is connected

 While sleep is essential to your appearance, it also directs your ability to work out and watch what you eat. Sleep too little, and your workouts won’t be as effective; you will also likely be less able to resist food cravings, especially those that involve carbohydrates. Not getting enough sleep messes with your cognitive function, and the brain is wired to seek out foods that will give it a quick burst of energy. When you are rested, you will have the clarity of mind to make better choices when it comes to food.

There is no doubt that sleep is essential to living a healthy life. The benefits you’ll reap from counting sheep are evident in the way you look and feel. So, take the time to evaluate your sleep situation and schedule a seven-hour snooze every night.

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