You may be unconscious as soon as your head hits the pillow, but many of the body’s internal functions, in particular those that make the skin look healthy, begin to work in an enhanced mode during sleep.

“The body uses sleep time for DNA repair, cellular detoxification and the production of new cells,” says Annette King, President of the International Dermatological Institute (IDI, Los Angeles, USA) and director of Dermalogica’s international training center. “Giving the body enough time to do all of these things is extremely important for maintaining skin health in top condition, not to mention overall health.”

Not getting enough sleep (on average, it takes 7 hours a night of sleep), you deprive your body of the time it needs to function properly. This accelerates the aging process of cells and, according to A. King, “if you do not get enough sleep chronically, the changes that occur in the body at the physical level become apparent.”

During the day, the skin resists the effects of numerous harmful factors, working in protection mode. At night, with increased blood flow during sleep, the skin switches to a fast recovery mode. Therefore, if you want your skin to be in its best condition, it is very important to give it enough time to recover.

The proper functioning of the body during sleep does not require much effort from you. A. King advises avoiding caffeinated drinks after 4 p.m., doing gymnastics or yoga in the evenings, eating healthy dinners before 7 p.m., and sleeping in a cool, dark room (and no cell phones!).

Compliance with the correct sleep schedule will certainly affect the condition of the skin, and you can not help but notice this by looking in the mirror. Well-rested skin looks healthy: tight, hydrated, even and radiant.