Our skin in sleep

During the day, the skin protects our body from harmful environmental influences and determines our external appearance. At night, it regenerates. Lack of sleep is therefore not only bad for our health - unfortunately, it also shows. Here you can find out exactly what happens to our skin while we sleep and why restful sleep is crucial for healthy and beautiful skin.

Table of contents

1. Our skin
2. Onstructure & function of the skin
3. Skin & Sleep
1. Lack of sleep damages the skin
2. How the skin regenerates during sleep
4. Support for skin health & beauty sleep
5. Conclusion

1. Our skin

The skin is one of the most important organs in our body and forms the basis for a well-groomed external appearance. It covers the entire surface of the body, is one of our sensory organs and represents a vital protective barrier that protects the body from numerous harmful influences. During the day in particular, our skin suffers from the effects of light and UV radiation, heat, cold, injuries and infections. Depending on the time of day, the moisture content, pH value, temperature and activity of the sebaceous and sweat glands fluctuate. At night, when we relax and sleep, numerous important regeneration processes take place in our body and the skin also recovers from the harmful influences to which it is exposed in everyday life. Sufficient and restful sleep is therefore of great importance for maintaining and caring for healthy and strong skin.

2. Structure & Function of the Skin

The skin is made up of three different layers. They each fulfil different functions that are crucial for our health, not only externally but also internally within the body.

1 - Epidermis (top layer of skin)
The epidermis consists mainly of a horny layer and forms the skin's uppermost protective barrier. It is therefore primarily responsible for defending against harmful substances and pathogens and also offers mechanical protection against impacts, cuts or blows.

2 - Dermis (leather skin)
The dermis, located under the epidermis, consists of collagen-containing connective tissue fibers that are responsible for elasticity and firmness. The dermis also contains many blood and lymph vessels, sebaceous and sweat glands, as well as numerous nerve fibers, vessels and muscle cells.

3 - Subcutis (subcutaneous tissue)
The last layer of skin consists of loose connective and fatty tissue and separates the skin from other tissue inside the body.

The different layers of skin perform numerous different functions. These include, for example, protection from toxins and harmful radiation or the defence against pathogens through the important acid mantle. The skin also plays an important role in regulating our body temperature, protects the body from dehydration and high stress caused by extreme heat or cold and, as a sensory organ, is able to sense a wide variety of stimuli (e.g. temperature, pain, pressure). The skin also performs important functions inside the body. It contains important immune cells, produces vitamin D, which is important for the organism, and serves, among other things, to store water, fat and various metabolic products.

In addition to these tasks that are crucial for our health, our skin also plays a key role in our external appearance. Our skin's appearance therefore quickly reveals when we are ill or our body is lacking nutrients. Even, smooth skin is also considered attractive, which is why our appearance and beauty also benefit from healthy skin.

3. Lack of sleep damages the skin

At night, our body breaks down harmful substances and rebuilds the skin's natural protective barriers, maintains firmness and elasticity, and regulates moisture levels. Important growth hormones are released that are involved in almost all functions in our body, help build connective tissue, and control enzyme production and cell renewal. lack of sleep disrupts these natural recovery processes and slows down the skin's own repair mechanisms. If we don't get enough sleep, the body increasingly releases what is known as "stress hormone“, which puts the organism into a state of stress. Too high a cortisol level promotes inflammation in the tissue structures, increases the activity of the sebaceous glands and inhibits the body's own production of hyaluronic acid. This leads to redness, inflammation and increased wrinkles. The skin also loses firmness and moisture, becomes dry and cracked and looks visibly aged. In addition, cortisol damages the skin's barrier function and leads to an increase in blood sugar, particularly in the long term, which solidifies the collagen structures and reduces the elasticity of the skin.

lack of sleep is therefore extremely damaging to our skin and leaves visible consequences in the short and long term. Our skin loses its firmness, elasticity and moisture. This leads to dark circles under the eyes or a pale complexion the following day, a reduced function of the defense and protective barrier and a higher susceptibility to injury. A restful sleep, on the other hand, helps to maintain healthy skin and also counteracts the natural signs of aging.

4. How the skin regenerates during sleep

metabolism and cell renewal

At night, and especially during deep sleep phases, more growth hormones are released and the body's own collagen production is also running at full speed. This promotes cell renewal in muscles and connective tissue, old cells are broken down, damaged cells are repaired, harmful substances and waste products are removed and new cells are built. At night, our skin also receives better blood flow, which improves metabolism, supplies skin cells more effectively with nutrients and oxygen and accelerates the removal of harmful substances.

New studies also suggest that the sleep hormone melatonin can have a positive effect on our skin. Melatonin functions as an antioxidant and is therefore able to neutralize so-called free radicals inside the body and protect the cells from damage caused by these aggressive substances and stress. It also has a positive effect on collagen production and can help protect the skin from UV radiation and the damage it causes, such as wrinkles or pigment spots.

fat and moisture content

During the day, the skin is exposed to numerous environmental influences, so that the moisture content, pH value, temperature and activity of the sebaceous and sweat glands located in the middle layer of the skin fluctuate depending on the time of day and stress. At night, these stresses are absent and sebaceous gland activity decreases.This removes deposits in the skin pores, regulates the skin's fat content and replenishes moisture reserves.

resilience and elasticity

The body's own substances collagen and hyaluronic acid play an important role in the firmness and elasticity of our skin. Our skin is made up of 80% of the structural protein collagen, whose fibers support the skin layers and ensure firmness. Hyaluronic acid is a main component of connective tissue and is responsible for a firm complexion and the skin's moisture content. The production of these important building blocks is particularly high during sleep, so that the firmness and elasticity of our skin is maintained. This prevents the formation of wrinkles and lines and promotes a healthy and firm complexion.

5. Support for skin health & beauty sleep

To support skin regeneration overnight, you should ensure that you get enough sleep, but also that your sleep is as high quality as possible. It is during deep sleep in particular that the essential growth hormones are released and the most important repair processes take place. Find out more here more about the individual sleep phases or read our tips for a healthy sleep behavior. Before going to bed, proper care and a sufficient supply of nutrients is very important so that the skin is free of impurities and the body has enough material for cell repair and renewal. You can find the most important and effective tips on how to optimally prepare your skin for sleep in this article.

More about the perfect evening routine and the ideal beauty sleep:

5 Ultimate Tips for Your Beauty Sleep
Why good sleep makes you beautiful

6. Conclusion

• The skin consists of three layers (epidermis, dermis, subcutaneous tissue) and protects the body from harmful environmental influences such as UV radiation, heat, injuries or infections.

• Lack of sleep damages the skin, reduces its barrier capacity and impairs a healthy, beautiful complexion.

• During sleep, the skin recovers and numerous regeneration processes ensure cell repair and renewal, the regulation of fat and moisture content and the maintenance of firmness and elasticity.