S
leep, and how much we’re
clocking up each night, has
become a modern-day obses-
sion. But instead of tucking
ourselves into bed to get the
seven to eight hours’ slumber
the experts recommend, we are cram-
ming more activity into our day and
budgeting our rest to fit it all in.
If you don’t feel as though you are
getting enough pillow time, you’re not
alone. “Studies indicate one in three
people will sufer a sleep problem at
some time in their lives,” explains Dr
Carmel Harrington, sleep expert at
Sleep for Health.
If scrolling through your Insta feed
seems like more fun than hitting the
hay by 10pm, we hear you. The issue is,
if you regularly lose out on Zs, you will
deprive your body of its only chance to
repair and restore.
“Sleep is vitally important to our
physical health,” says Dr Harrington.
“Without it, we are susceptible to
infections and more likely to develop
certain cancers, as well as heart disease
and type 2 diabetes. Obesity is also
linked to a lack of shut-eye.”
Our skin is afected, too. “Sleep
deprivation is associated with many
dramatic consequences for the skin,”
explains clinical naturopath Cassandra
Hilton. “These include diminished skin
barrier function and oxidative stress.”
This is because night-time is a vital
opportunity for skin to go into damage
control after the 15 (or more) hours of
UV, pollution, smoke, smog and stressthat are thrown at it during the day.
“The biological processes that occur
throughout the night repair the daily
insults,” explains Hilton. “These include
DNA repair, cell proliferation and
increased barrier penetration.”
With ever-increasing workloads
and smartphone dependence, it’s easy to
scrimp on sleep. But if you habitually
burn the midnight oil (or anxiously toss
and turn), you’re efectively clocking of
your skin’s internal night workers after
only half a shift.
“If you don’t get enough sleep, you
may experience more stress,” says Dr
David Topchian, dermatologist at The
Doctor’s Studio in Melbourne. “Stress
increases adrenaline levels, which
constrict blood vessels in the skin. This
[can mean] dark pufy eyes, dull skin,
more lines and creases.”
A lack of shut-eye can also translate
to skin that’s inflamed and spot prone.
Alarmingly, it also actively encourages
skin to age more rapidly.
“The skin’s repair mechanisms kick
in at night, including the manufacture
of new collagen,” says Michelle Doherty,
founder of Alpha-H skincare. “Sleep
also increases blood flow, so you wake
up glowing rather than looking ashen.”
The good news is, if you do listen
to your Fitbit and get to bed on time
(e n list a lavender pillow spray, such as
the one by This Works, $37), night is an
excellent point at which to apply active
ingredients to work on skin issues such
as dehydration, poor texture, lines and
wrinkles, dullness and lack of clarity.136 marieclaire.com.auPrioritising sleep can
translate to real skin
36?6]ED4@>6>@C?:?8
Here’s how to get the most
out of your beauty sleep- and why you should
change your skincare
routine for the wee hours.
By Sally Hunwick
BEAUTY