Aging is, of course, a natural course of life. Though there’s no magic solution or product in a bottle that can keep you looking and feeling like you’re 20 forever, you do have a lot of power over how well you age – and how quickly. From your lifestyle choices to the foods you eat, there are a number of factors that can cause your physical appearance to deteriorate. Yet, there’s probably no factor as impact-full as Sleep.

Have you ever gone a night or two without any sleep? Though it may have resulted in nothing more than dark circles and bags under the eye. It’s a telltale sign of what too little sleep can do to your appearance. Now, imagine not sleeping for weeks or getting periodic rest every night (but not the 7-9 recommended hours), the impact can age you.

The reason? Your mind and Body need sleep. When you’re resting comfortably, your body goes to work killing off bad cells, removing toxins, and replenishing from the inside out. If this process is interrupted, or even worse, not kept up, eventually, it wears on you. Below, is a quick look at how sleep affects your physical appearance.

A Buildup of Dead Cells and Toxins

When you’re sleeping, this is your body’s chance to do things like removing dead Skin, blood, and brain cells and replenishing them with new ones. It’s also a period where your body will get rid of toxins. That’s why you’re able to wake up feeling so refreshed the next morning. Without it, your body gets backed up with dead cells and toxins that take away that youthful glow.

Imbalanced Skin, Dry Complexion, and Breakouts

To sustain a flawless glow and moisture your skin needs to produce a lot of moisture. Not getting enough sleep, however, prevents this from happening. When you don’t sleep, it reduces the moisture levels in your skin which cause you to wake up with dry-looking skin. Lack of sleep also lowers the pH levels in the skin resulting in your body’s inability to produce more moisture. This can result in uneven complexions, redness, and breakouts.

Dark Circles

No one wants to look like they’ve been in a boxing match or are related to a raccoon, but those dark circles are often a direct result of not getting enough sleep. Your body needs time to regenerate your cells and when this doesn’t happen it causes your blood vessels to dilate and create dark circles.

Stressed Skin

Your mind isn’t the only thing that can suffer from stress. Your skin can become extremely stressed when you’re not getting enough sleep. High levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, cause the breakdown of collagen. As you may or may not know, collagen is the key to healthy, elastic, and beautiful looking skin.

What to Do Now?

Limited sleep, even after just one evening can age you faster. There’s a lot that the body is capable of doing on its own that can only be done when you’re in a deep comfortable sleep. It may seem like nothing to miss an hour or two or to skip a night, but as you can see from above, there are consequences. If you’re guilty of overlooking the importance of sleeping, here are some things you can do to improve your sleep and to reverse some of those signs of aging.

Get a new mattress

If you’ve had your mattress for more than 9 years or simply can’t get comfortable in it, it’s time for an upgrade. There are brands like Essentia’s Natural Memory Foam and others that are worth taking a look at for their added health benefits and comfort.

Create a Routine

Stop haphazardly deciding to go to sleep. Create a bedtime routine that gets your body in the mood to relax at the same time each night.

Get Rid of the Stress

If something has got you stressed out lately, you have to find a way to cope (that doesn’t involve staying up all night). Talk to a therapist, remove yourself from a toxic environment or relationship, or simply take the steps necessary to reduce the stress in your life.

Stay Hydrated

If you haven’t been getting enough rest than your skin is likely dehydrated and more vulnerable to breakouts. Drink at least eight glasses of water every day for hydration.

Aging is something everyone will do in their lifetime. It’s actually something to look forward to. Be that as it may, no one wants to age any faster than they need to. You want to look and feel your absolute best for as long as you can. If you’re not getting enough sleep each night, however, it will quickly start to impact your appearance and other areas of your life. Use the above-mentioned tips to get better sleep so you can look as young as you can for as long as you can.

The post Could Sleep Deprivation Be the Reason You Look Older? appeared first on Vaunte.