The Best Anti-Aging Technique Is Quality Sleep

Sleep provides the body the opportunity to restore and repair itself.

The beauty and cosmetic industry generate billions of dollars selling all types of anti-aging cream for people who desire to look younger. Plastic surgeons make millions injecting fluids that may enhance the physical appearance of one’s face. However, what many may dismiss is the best and free anti-aging medicine that has existed since mankind and is available to all: quality sleep.

Aside from genetics, diet and exercise, stress, and the environment, a good night’s sleep is all you need to gain a more youthful appearance. Sleep provides the body the opportunity to restore and repair itself. The cells in the body work to vacuum out damaged cells and promote the growth of new cells. This process works in all parts of the body from the brain to the muscles and throughout the epidermis. During the day, the collagen in your skin is exposed to UV rays, which increases wrinkles and age spots. When the body rests at night, cells regenerate new skin cells by cycling nutrients and oxygen. The stress hormone called cortisol decreases, which assists the skin in repairing the day’s damages. More collagen is also produced as the previous was exposed to UV rays and will now minimize fine lines. The human growth hormone is pervasive and strengthens the skin.

What less sleep does to the skin is the exact opposite. In a sleep study conducted on rats, researchers found a significant increase in damage to oxidative and organ-specified DNA in rats that were sleep deprived for 10 days. There was also a 5.3-fold expansion in dying cells compared to the group of rats that were given quality sleep. Metabolic abnormalities were present, which increases the risk for disease and cell injuries. These same issues are also present in the human body if deprived of sleep and will visibly result in swollen eyes, undereye circles, paler skin, and more wrinkles and fine lines.

How to Increase Chances for a Good Night Rest

The CDC discovered that a substantial proportion of U.S. adults have failed to meet the recommended hours of sleep and considers it to be a public health problem. There are numerous external contributors such as electronic usage at night, poor diet and exercise, stress, and disturbing environmental factors that can be adjusted. Here are some ways you can gain and maintain a quality night’s rest:

• Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
• Sleep in a dark, quiet, and cool room.
• Stay off all electronics at least 1 hour before bedtime.
• Eat organic whole foods and avoid ultra-processed foods.
• Exercise regularly throughout the week.
• Avoid large meals, alcohol, and caffeine before bedtime.
• Do breathing exercises and leaving any additional work or concerns to be dealt with in the morning.

Having a healthy routine before bedtime will aid in achieving quality sleep and more youthful looking skin, and the best part is it’s all free.

According to the National Library of Medicine, the widespread use of portable electronic devices and the normalization of screen media devices in the bedroom, insufficient sleep has become commonplace, affecting 30% of toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children and the majority of adolescents.