Is 'Beauty Sleep' Actually Real?

Having a bad night of sleep can often show up on our faces. After a rough night, you might notice that your skin looks dull and your eyes look puffy. There is a reason for this. According to Real Simple, getting less than seven hours of sleep at night can lead to premature aging in the skin and cause not only puffy eyes but inflammation throughout your face. After a long stint of inadequate sleep, you may notice your skin turning red or even suddenly suffering from acne.

At one point or another, you have likely used "getting your beauty sleep" as an excuse to get in bed early, but if you have ever gotten a full night's rest and woke up looking better, it may not just be in your head. In fact, according to a study done by The Royal Society Publishing, just two nights of bad sleep can make someone less attractive. But while it makes sense that lack of sleep can lead to issues with our skin and overall appearance, is it true that getting sleep can actually make us more beautiful?

Next time you need an excuse to get in bed well before your usual bedtime, point your haters to this study, which proved that those who had a good night's sleep were more attractive to others than those who did not get adequate sleep. So if you're wondering if beauty sleep is actually real, the answer is yes. According to Good Housekeeping, as we sleep, our skin is working to repair itself from any damage it incurred during the daytime hours. To get scientific, when we snooze, our stress hormones, called cortisone, lower, allowing our body to repair. If you do not sleep well, your cortisone will rise, causing the salt balance in your body to be thrown off. This is why a bad night's sleep often has us waking up to puffy eyes and dark undereye circles.

According to WebMD, it's not just puffiness we need to worry about when we don't sleep. In fact, a good sleep can lead to fewer breakouts, an even skin tone, brighter eyes, and skin that heals faster.

Understanding what sleep can do for you is the easy part — it's actually getting enough good quality sleep where many people have issues. According to Mayo Clinic, there are a few things you can do to ensure you are getting decent sleep each night. This includes sticking to a sleep schedule, which consists of going to sleep and waking up at the same time every single day, weekends included. Make sure your sleep time and wake-up time account for at least eight hours when possible, as this can really help your body in more ways than just appearances. You should also try to keep your bedroom as dark as possible as well as cool and quiet. Limiting naps during the day and using that time to participate in physical activity can also help you get a restful night's sleep.

And while a good night's sleep is enough to make you look better, you can enhance your beauty sleep by always washing and moisturizing your face before bed and sleeping on a satin or silk pillowcase, per Healthline. WebMD also recommends staying away from salty foods too close to bedtime and drinking only water.