Beauty sleep: This is how your night's sleep becomes a beauty boost!

Ever since Sleeping Beauty we have known that there is a magical connection between beauty and sleep. But: is long beauty sleep really the beauty secret for a fresh complexion, as if kissed awake the next morning? I'll tell you if you can really sleep well - and what you need to turn your night's sleep into an effective makeover that conjures up the signs of aging from your face.

Photo: Polina Kovaleva

Beauty sleep - does it really exist?

That good sleep can ensure beautiful skin overnight is no myth.

While you sleep peacefully between the feathers, the regeneration work in your body and your skin is in full swing. The night is the perfect time for this. Our facial muscles are in rest mode, and our skin does not have to deal with environmental influences at night either.

This is what happens in your body while you sleep

Your circadian rhythm – aka: your internal clock, which is based on the day-night rhythm – controls important bodily functions, including your sleep. When it gets dark and you fall asleep, the concentration of the sleep hormone melatonin increases, which sends your body and skin into the nightly repair phase.

• Your peaceful slumber is the best time of the day for your skin to rest, repair cell damage and regenerate intensely.

• If you are in a deep sleep, your body produces its own anti-aging agent : This means growth hormones, which you need for a functioning cell regeneration - HGH (the Human Growth Hormone), for example, about 70% is released during sleep ¹ !

• During your sleep, your body recharges its batteries , muscles and bones regenerate from the day's exertions, your heart beats slower and your metabolism ensures a natural detox .

• Your brain also needs sleep to keep your nerves healthy and to filter and process the impressions of the day. If we sleep too little, our memory and ability to learn suffer.

So you see: If you make a restful, extensive beauty sleep your priority, you support your self-healing powers and make an important contribution to your physical, emotional and mental fitness.

Sufficient beauty sleep as a beauty boost? These 5 reasons speak for it!

Moment. To look radiantly fresh and pretty in the morning, all we need is – enough good sleep?! That's exactly how it is, at least that's what science says. I’ll tell you below how you can optimally support your beauty sleep (and compete with Sleeping Beauty). First: The sensational benefits of getting enough sleep for your skin .

1. A plump, youthful complexion.

Studies show ² : The skin's own collagen is built up while we get enough sleep. Cell renewal is also based on our circadian rhythm ³ and takes place when we are peacefully asleep.

In our skin, collagen functions as a kind of supportive cushion. It provides elasticity and resilience and gives the skin a firm, wrinkle-free appearance. The problem: The collagen content in the skin steadily decreases as a result of the natural aging process. In addition, external factors such as UV radiation and oxidative stress can further promote collagen degradation.

On the other hand, regenerative sleep helps. With an extensive beauty sleep, you can boost cell renewal in your skin ³ and support your skin's own collagen production ⁴ . Perfect conditions to at least partially turn back the clocks.

2. Morning glow instead of bags under your eyes.

We know them all. Those days when our morning reflection greets us with big bags under our eyes. And it is no coincidence that these days usually follow particularly restless and sleepless nights .

The relationship? If we sleep too little or if our sleep quality leaves something to be desired, the levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body remain elevated. Cortisol is not only an enemy of flawless skin (more on that in a moment), but also promotes water retention (such as bags under the eyes) in the body.

The same applies here: sleep well. If you make sure you get enough beauty sleep (experts recommend seven to nine hours !), you can prevent bags under your eyes and dark circles under your eyes.

3. Cleaner skin while you sleep.

No joke, but another effect of the aforementioned stress hormones such as cortisol. When our body doesn't get enough (or bad) sleep, it creates a stressor. And our body responds to stress by releasing hormones that affect the activity of the sebum glands ⁵ .

If your sebaceous glands secrete too much skin oil, this can lead to clogged pores, impurities and greasy, shiny skin. If your skin is prone to (stress) pimples, make sure that you treat yourself to a restful beauty sleep every night (or at least as often as you can).

4. Healthy radiant complexion.

If you sleep better, you look better. There are several reasons for this.

• Lack of sleep is an enemy of well-hydrated skin. This is the result of a Korean study ⁶ . Too little sleep (four hours in the study) increases transepidermal water loss through the skin's surface - after just one night! The longer the lack of sleep lasts, the more serious this effect is.

• If you sleep too little, this can have further consequences. In the long run, the complexion suffers, wrinkles become more visible and the skin's elasticity decreases ⁶ . Poor sleep can also impair skin barrier functions ⁷ .

• With enough sleep , you do n't have a sallow, pale complexion and you also have less to worry about large pores and reduced blood circulation in the skin ⁸ .

The following results of a Swedish study are not surprising: people who have not had enough sleep are judged by others to be less attractive , less fit and (logically) more tired than people who have had eight hours of sleep ⁹ .

5. If you pay attention to your beauty sleep, you will feel more comfortable in your own skin.

Do you feel the same? After a particularly restful night or a rested weekend, our skin sometimes looks like we've had a pampering day at the spa .

No wonder: good sleep quality has an impact on how satisfied we are with the way we look ⁷ .

The effects of beauty sleep do not just affect our skin's appearance. Because when we feel good, our mood improves and we are more balanced. This inner satisfaction is a boost for your radiance and works like natural anti-aging from the inside!

These tips will help you get the most out of your beauty sleep!

Do you find it difficult to switch to relaxation mode in the evening - and unfortunately your time between the feathers has little in common with a deep slumber ? Then establishing a relaxing self-care evening routine can help.

The following points will help you achieve your perfect beauty sleep : 

• Make a cup of fresh lemon balm tea before you go to bed. Lemon balm is traditionally used to treat problems falling asleep, as the essential oils in lemon balm have a calming and stress-relieving effect. 

• Establish a no-fuss, soothing skincare routine to help your skin with its nightly repair work. Remove make-up residue, excess sebum and deposits before your beauty sleep with a gentle oil cleansing and treat yourself to a soothing facial massage .

If you use your favorite FIVE products for this, you can let the subtle scent of the essential oils it contains put you in a relaxing mood.

• The FIVE make-up remover gently cleanses with a mixture of cold-pressed jojoba oil, almond oil and apricot kernel oil and supplies your skin with barrier-strengthening lipids. The fresh, mood-enhancing scent of essential neroli oil prepares you for your beauty sleep and turns your bedtime ritual into a soothing care treat.

• Then apply the FIVE facial serum , which provides your skin with intensive moisture and provides a fresh, plump appearance overnight with hyaluronic acid. Sleeping Beauty feeling included: The contained, delicately scented rose blossom hydrolate from precious Damascus roses works harmonizing and contributes to optimally moisturized skin.

Does your skin also need lipid-rich care ? Then use a suitable facial oil in the third step. The carefully formulated FIVE facial oils also contain essential oils that can wonderfully support your beauty sleep 

• The FIVE Facial Oil Regeneration supplies dry and mature skin overnight with nourishing sea buckthorn pulp oil, which supports cell renewal. Harmonizing organic lavender oil promotes collagen formation in the skin ¹⁰ and at the same time develops its sleep-promoting , balancing and stress-reducing effect ¹¹ . 

• The FIVE Facial Oil Balance is suitable for the care of normal, combination and oily skin. Organic black cumin oil strengthens the functions of the skin barrier. Jojoba oil has sebum-regulating properties, the essential grapefruit oil it contains has a mood-enhancing effect and supports the body's own detox. 

• Ventilate your bedroom and make sure the room temperature is comfortable . This also applies in winter! In general, experts recommend a sleeping temperature between 15 and 19 degrees. High temperatures and increased humidity disrupt REM sleep (ie our dream phase) ¹² . This can have a negative impact on the body's nocturnal regeneration processes.

Also important: Keep your bedroom dark . The circadian rhythms that occur in the body at night and our sleep can be disturbed or disrupted by light ¹³ .

Bye, sleepless nights: This ensures restful sleep on cloud 9!

• Treat yourself to a pleasant foot massage before going to bed, for example with the FIVE Shea Cream. So your feet get their deserved night's rest. The rich shea butter, as well as jojoba and argan oil intensively care for the stressed skin of your feet. Because the Shea Cream is also delicately scented with essential neroli oil, it puts you in the right mood for your beauty sleep.

• Meditate for a few minutes in the evening . According to studies, meditation is an effective help against problems falling asleep, especially if ^you cannot switch off in the evening and your thoughts are circling in endless loops.

• Keep the time before bed screen-free . Endlessly scrolling on your smartphone, working late on the computer or watching TV before bed can affect the quality of your sleep. One of the reasons for this is the blue light , which can inhibit the production of melatonin (our sleep hormone). Better: Read a good book instead. It even has a sleep-inducing effect - really true! Studies show that reading before bedtime improves sleep quality ¹⁵ !

• Invest in a matching pillow and pillowcase for your beauty sleep. Natural materials such as organic cotton are great. They are particularly gentle on skin and hair, and they are usually well tolerated by allergy sufferers. Tip: Complete your nightly self-care ritual and use a soothing lavender pillow mist before bed.

• Avoid salty snacks and alcohol in the evening if possible. Recommended instead: A light, healthy dinner. Focus on foods rich in tryptophan . The amino acid is linked to improved sleep ¹⁶ because it affects the levels of melatonin and serototin in the body, which in turn are responsible for our sleep. Good sources of tryptophan include whole grains, nuts, seeds, mushrooms, peas and broccoli.

Conclusion: An extensive beauty sleep supports every beauty routine!

So the 'myth' of beauty sleep is really true - and intuitively we've actually always known that. Good, restful sleep makes us look younger, fresher and more rested overnight . In this article, I have given you my best tips for a soothing beauty sleep with a Sleeping Beauty effect . Just adapt it to your evening routine and let me know what worked particularly well for you!

By the way: Even if I'm too exhausted for every single item on my list in the evening - what I always do is: drink a cup of tea, treat myself to a nice oil cleansing with facial massage, brush my teeth thoroughly, and then off to the cool bedroom !

Sleep well, your Sibylle

Would you like to enrich your evening self-care routine with skin-friendly FIVE products? Here's the shop !