Healthy sleep is the best defense against aging

During sleep, the production of cortisol is weakened, due to this, the production of collagen-1 is accelerated, the epidermal and dermal junctions are strengthened, which leads to a decrease in evaporation and retains moisture as much as possible, and vice versa – lack of proper sleep suppresses the immune system, which leads to to skin problems.

Molecular level

Cortisol is the most biologically active glucocorticoid hormone. It regulates the carbohydrate metabolism of the body, and also takes part in the development of stress reactions. Cortisol is characterized by a daily rhythm of secretion. Its maximum concentration is observed in the morning. 

"Remember, the best thing you can do for your skin is to give it a real, long sleep," – says Dr. Elena Stoyanova, Ph.D. in Medicine. After all, while we are basking in the arms of Morpheus, the body is working hard in order to eliminate all the malfunctions that have arisen during the day, and to recharge again, to restore all strength. The skin and liver work especially intensively, trying their best to remove harmful substances from the body. In addition, cell division accelerates at night, so cosmetic products and medicinal ointments have a particularly effective effect on the skin. The study of brain biopotentials has proven that during our sleep, cells do a gigantic job in order to program our body to heal and overcome any, even the most complex, problems.

We sleep less – we age faster

So how many hours of sleep does a person need? For everyone, the norm is individual. Some scientists believe that such a need depends, in particular, on age. The older we are, the less time we need to recover. For schoolchildren, the norm is 8-9 hours, for adults - 7-8, and for the elderly, the need for sleep is completely reduced to 5-6 hours. As you know, sleep affects the nervous system. People who sleep too little – are irritable, quick-tempered and get tired quickly. On average, the ideal number of hours of sleep is 6-8. That is how much time is enough to go through all 5 phases of sleep. Different hormones are responsible for each phase of sleep. For example, the hormone melatonin and prolactin – for slow sleep.

Melatonin – the main hormone of the pineal gland (pineal body of the brain). The circadian rhythm depends on it (cyclic fluctuations in the intensity of various biological processes associated with the change of day and night. Despite the connection with external stimuli, circadian rhythms are of endogenous origin, thus representing the "internal clock" of the body).

Prolactin – one of the hormones of the anterior pituitary gland. According to its chemical structure, it is a peptide hormone. The physiological role of prolactin has not been fully elucidated, but almost all known effects of this hormone are somehow related to reproduction. The main target organ of prolactin is the mammary glands. Prolactin is necessary for the implementation of lactation, it increases the secretion of colostrum, promotes the maturation of colostrum, the transformation of colostrum into mature milk. It also stimulates the growth and development of the mammary glands and an increase in the number of lobules and ducts in them. In addition to the mammary glands, prolactin receptors are found in almost all other organs of the body, but the effect of this hormone on them is not yet known.

Melatonin, which is a powerful antioxidant, begins to be produced in the body from ten in the evening and only in a dark room, and is destroyed when light hits the pupil. If there is little melatonin, the sleep will be short and nervous, the person will often wake up. And with excessive production   sleep will come quickly, but it will still be short and restless. Of course, you can control this process, for this reason it is not recommended to drink coffee at night, as the nervous system is excited and melatonin is produced.

All endocrine glands interact with each other and when one hormone "suffers" it is expressed in others. In this case, the body reacts immediately and the aging process is significantly accelerated. During the period when the body is in the fourth, deepest phase of rest (often called delta sleep), which passes into the last, REM sleep phase, the production of growth hormones increases and the reparative activity of cells and tissues begins. Insufficient or disturbed sleep interferes with this important process of strengthening and recuperation. Interrupted, restless sleep is very harmful to skin health. Unfortunately, a slight lack of sleep in our society is considered the norm. After all, everyone is working, and sleeping is just a waste of time. If you constantly gain one hour from sleep, your life will be reduced by 10 years, and the skin will age faster. Usually this fact has a very sobering effect on people.

More and more experts are looking at beauty in a complex way. When the skin benefits from adequate sleep, medications and treatments work more effectively.

It is extremely difficult to treat the skin as a separate organ, it is necessary to treat the patient in a complex way. Does the patient have dull skin color and fatigue circles under the eyes? Of course, you can apply a cold compress or apply a layer of foundation. But you can pay attention not to the consequences, but to the causes, it will be much more correct. The reason for this – lack of sleep. Pamper, delight and love yourself!