There's a good reason why it's called beauty sleep: your skin's rate of cell renewal (a function essential for fresh, healthy skin) and the nourishment of skin cells reach a peak while you sleep. But when you don't get enough sleep, your skin can start looking dull. And then there's the badge of fatigue: puffiness and dark circles under your eyes, which seems to make everything look worse.
Going without enough sleep can make you more prone to skin problems. This is because a lack of sleep sends your levels of stress hormones into overdrive, so you don't regulate your blood sugar well. Remember, blood-sugar imbalances up the odds of getting acne. During sleep, however, your stress hormones chill. If you're not getting enough sleep, you don't stand a chance of beating blemishes. So for the sake of your skin, don't skimp on sleep.
Melatonin is an important hormone that's secreted in your brain by your pineal gland when it gets dark. So it's sometimes called the hormone of darkness. Melatonin regulates your 24-hour body clock and sleep-wake cycle. In addition, it's a powerful antioxidant and boosts immune function.
Exposure at night to bright artificial lights, like a computer screen, has a detrimental influence on your body clock. When you're on your computer or watching TV before bed, the light of the screen suppresses the release of melatonin, tricking your body into thinking that it's actually daylight, and this makes it really difficult to fall asleep. If you combine the effect of the bright light with talking on the phone, watching an exciting program, listening to loud music, IM-ing or doing some of these at the same time, it can easily tip the balance at bedtime - making it more difficult for you to sleep. Even if you're really sleepy, all the stimulation may keep you from noticing just how tired you are.
Of course, a shortage of sleep affects every single part of your life, not just your complexion. It's been linked to rebellious behaviour, depressive symptoms, obesity, anxiety disorders and poor grades. Skimping on sleep does awful things to your brain. Being tired when you take an IQ test can knock 7 points off your score, and sleepiness affects performance on regular exams too. Problem-solving, planning, learning, concentration, memory and alertness all take a hit. If you've been awake for 21 hours straight, your abilities are equivalent to someone who is legally drunk! And you don't need to pull an all-nighter as two or three late nights and several early mornings can have the same effect.
Luckily, it's reversible. If you're not sleep deprived, extra sleep can still benefit you. If you get an extra hour or two of shut-eye, you'll perform much better than you normally would on tasks requiring sustained or continuous attention, like taking an exam. As you sleep, your brain memorises what you studied and learnt that day. Surfing the web or messing around on Facebook into the wee hours coupled with an early morning alarm clock is a recipe for exhaustion. Getting to bed at a decent hour has an extremely important purpose: sleep is muchneeded downtime for your body and mind to rejuvenate. Get some shut-eye!
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