What Beauty Sleep Actually Does for Your Skin

You’ve undoubtedly heard about the importance of beauty sleep and may even know that not getting enough sleep can have serious consequences on the look of your skin, including dark circles, premature signs of aging and a dull-looking complexion. But do you know what actually happens to your skin overnight? To find out, we consulted with board-certified dermatologist Alicia Zalka, M.D. Read on for the lowdown, including tips on what you can do to wake up with skin that appears fresh and feeling rejuvenated.

What Happens to Your Skin If You Don't Get Enough Sleep? 

“When sleep is inadequate or disrupted there are two reasons the skin may suffer,” explains Dr. Zalka. The first is that your skin may miss out on the rejuvenating factors that occur while you sleep, and the second has to do with what you may be doing instead of getting sleep. “When we lack sleep it is often because we are engaged in less healthy behaviors like drinking alcohol, staying out all night, smoking, stressing about a deadline or sitting in front of a computer. So not only are we missing out on the good aspects of rest, we are probably not doing much else to help nurture our skin while we should be asleep,”  Dr. Zalka continues. 

Our Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Beauty Sleep

TIP #1: Go to bed with a clean face 
Dr. Zalka says it’s best to cleanse off the impurities of the day and give your face a chance to “breathe” while you sleep. This allows cellular turnover at the surface to occur without clogging the pores.

TIP #2: Moisturize 
Sleeping is the only time when your moisturizer can deeply penetrate into the skin without rubbing off or being affected by harmful environmental factors. We recommend IT Cosmetics Confidence in Your Beauty Sleep. It works while you are sleeping to target the five top signs of aging skin: fine lines, wrinkles, dryness, dullness and loss of firmness. 

TIP #3: Consider a Satin Pillowcase 
“Consider a satin pillowcase to reduce friction on your face and hair and to avoid waking up with ‘sheet wrinkles,’” says Dr. Zalka. 

TIP #4: Try an Eye Mask
Wearing an eye mask to cover the eyes as you sleep could help prevent noticeable under eye puffiness upon awakening and encourage better sleep as it keeps out the light.

Photo: Chaunte Vaughn

Read More: 

What Actually Happens When You Sleep With Your Makeup On

Derm DMs: What Happens If You Don’t Remove a Sleep Mask in the Morning?

12 Overnight Face Masks That Work While You Sleep