6 Steps To Sleep Your Way To Brighter, Healthier Skin

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The term “beauty sleep” was supposedly first coined by William Shakespeare from his poem Lucrece (1594):

“Each in her sleepe themselues so beautifie…”

In 2020, beauty sleep can be referred to by different terms like the ever-trending selfie hashtag “#wokeuplikethis” or popular Instagram caption, “No filter! #morningselfie” but whether it’s Shakespeare himself or the latest social media influencer you’re following, beauty sleep means the same thing: that you look better, your skin glows brighter and becomes healthier the morning after a full night’s sleep.

Today, I’m going to talk about tried and tested steps for sleeping your way to brighter skin. From picking the right mattress to skincare tips, we’ve covered the essentials. We’re also going to talk about the science behind beauty and sleep.

Let’s begin.

Beauty sleep: fact or fiction?

If you’ve been on the hunt for the so-called holy grail of beauty – the fountain of youth – then your bedroom might just be where you can find it. Experts say that sleep is actually the closest thing we mortals have to ensure healthy skin, no matter what our age.

And, as all beauty experts agree, great skin is key to looking refreshed and energized each day. In fact, having youthful skin saves you a ton of money on makeup, concealer, and cleansing products.

But why exactly? How does good, old sleep improve our skin? Here’s the basic science behind how catching Zzzz’s can help keep your skin radiant:

While you sleep, your brain and your body’s internal functions are busy repairing and resetting for another day’s “work”, so to speak. And that includes epidermal functions, as well. As you’re peacefully snoozing, here’s what’s your skin’s busy doing:

• the blood flow of your skin increases
• collagen rebuilds
• damage from UV exposure is repaired
• wrinkles are reduced, as well as age spots

Also, since you sleep in your own room, in your bed, your skin’s exposure to dirt, dust, and grime are significantly reduced. Sleeping the recommended amount of time each night then allows your skin to repair itself in a clean environment.

Now that we know how sleep affects your skin, let’s get to the good part.

6 easy sleep steps to achieving brighter, healthier skin

1. Invest in the best mattress for your bedroom.

This is the first step in ensuring you get a great night’s beauty rest. A quality mattress can mean a world of difference! In fact, picking the right mattress is scientifically proven to help you sleep better, faster, and longer. Why? Because the right mattress fits your body’s specific needs.

For example, if you are accustomed to sleeping on your stomach, it’s best to choose a mattress that’s between medium-firm to a firm in terms of comfort levels. This level of firmness ensures your pressure points are supported even when you are sleeping on your stomach.

So, what type of sleeper are you? Are you sleeping with a partner? Are you a plus-sized individual? These questions will reflect your personal preferences. Follow your nose, research a little and you’ll soon figure out the best mattress for you.

2. Declutter, declutter, declutter!

After making sure that you have yourself an amazing mattress to sleep on, the key to making your bedroom an oasis for beauty rest is to declutter. A clean, organized bedroom will surely help you sleep better, which in turn, is great for your skin.

Here are 3 crucial things to remember when you are decluttering your bedroom:

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Declutter frequently. Doing little things each day like arranging your desk, organizing your closet, and the usual morning routine of folding your sheets. making your bed will ensure you have a clean, clutter-free bedroom to sleep in.

Keep your essentials organized. To make sure you’re not decluttered in the first place, make sure to keep your bedroom organized. From getting an over-door shoe bag to store your shoes or drawer organizers for clothing and beauty products, there are many ways to keep an organized bedroom – and therefore, for you to get better sleep.

Install relaxing lighting. Interior decorators are known to say, “Lighting is everything” when planning home interiors. And this can’t be truer for the bedroom, too. From wall sconces to bedside table lamps, your bedroom’s lighting shouldn’t be too stark or bright to set the mood for better sleep.

3. Wash and change pillowcases, sheets, and bedding more often.

This next step is crucial. Dirt and bacteria are not good for your skin. And while it may not seem so obvious, pillowcases, sheets, and bedding, in general, are ideal places for bacteria to grow in. Sleep is supposed to be a time when you are not exposing your skin to harmful elements. To make sure you do this, always ensure you wash bedding regularly.

4. Keep a nighttime skincare routine.

So, at this point, we have set the stage for sleep: you now have the best mattress for your bedroom, you have a clean, uncluttered, relaxing space to sleep in and your sheets are fresh and new. It’s now time to take care of your skin before heading to bed.

This next step is all about encouraging you to keep a nighttime skincare routine. Spending about 10 – 15 minutes on your skin every night (and when you wake up in the morning) will go a long way in keeping your skin beautiful.

Skincare routines are based on your skin type, however, there are a couple of basics to keep in mind:

• Remove all makeup before heading to bed
• Cleanse, hydrate your face
• Use a moisturizer made from nourishing ingredients
• Make sure any skin products you are using do not contain harmful chemicals

Sometimes, however, our busy schedules keep us from sticking to a routine, especially when all we want to do is sleep. But remember, the buildup of dust, oil, and makeup isn’t good for your skin.

If you only have less than 10 minutes in the evening and only about 5 minutes in the morning to care for your skin, then at least do the 3 most important skincare steps:

• Cleanse
• Tone
• Moisturize

Once in a while, should you have a free day, don’t forget to exfoliate, too. It’s great for removing dead skin cells and making way for new ones.

5. Keep a consistent sleep & skincare schedule.

The one thing that sleep and skincare have in common is consistency. And this next step is all about that – your skincare routine should be in line with your bedtime schedule.

Utilizing your smartphone or a simple organizing app can help you set an alarm for your nightly skincare and bedtime routine.

6. Get the right amount of sleep

Finally, the last step to achieving great skin through sleep: get lots of it! The CDC’s recommendation for adults aged 18 – 60 years old is to sleep 7 or more hours per night. Beauty experts agree that getting your forty winks is a great way to keep your skin bright and healthy all day, every day.

The takeaway

Board-certified sleep expert, Dr. Michael Breus, Ph.D. declares that getting less than 6 hours of sleep can most likely affect your overall appearance. And since our skin is the largest organ of our body and also the most visible, it’s also the first thing that’s affected if you’re just not sleeping well at night.

If you want to start improving your skin, start adding 2 or 3 hours of sleep at night. Our steps outlined above should help you achieve just that. Now you’re just one night’s sleep away from great skin.

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