A lack of sleep has a number of physiological and psychological effects on the body.
It can not only make us tired, it can also have a detrimental effect on the way you look.
- Dull sallow skin
- Water retention
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Dark circles under the eyes
These coupled with physiological symptoms:
- Lack of energy
- Trouble concentrating
You begin to see why it can play havoc with your body, both internally and externally.
So let’s look at a few of these symptoms in more detail:
Effects of lack of sleep
When we don’t have enough sleep, our body releases more stress hormones than usual, known as cortisol.
In large amounts cortisol can break down collagen fibres, the protein that acts as our internal scaffolding; that is also responsible for keeping our skin soft and supple.
If that wasn’t enough to contend with, if your body isn’t getting the rest it requires, cells don’t have the time to turnover correctly.
The skins cells become stubborn and stick to the skins surface and our skin looks dull and loses its youthful glow.
Did you know that chronic sleep loss, can cause our body to release too little of the human growth hormone?
This is an extremely important hormone that is required by the body for muscle mass, skin density and strengthening bones.
During deep sleep, which is referred to as “slow wave sleep” our growth hormones are released, this is when the normal tissue repair process takes place in our skin.
So next time your burning the candle at both ends, maybe take a second to think about the health of your skin.
Because the term beauty sleep, may have more meaning that you actually think.