The real secret to glowing skin isn't in a bottle - it's in your bedtime routine

Our body breaks down and rebuilds itself through the repair and regeneration of skin cells that were damaged due to external factors such as pollution, UV rays from the sun, and stress.

This means that when we have enough sleep, we can improve our skin’s structure, elasticity, and appearance through proper sleep. If you do not get enough rest or if your sleep cycles are compromised, your skin will not be able to fully repair itself.A significant source of dark circles and puffiness around one's eyes is from not getting enough sleep. When one does not get enough sleep, the blood vessels beneath the eyes become apparent; there is a tired, lifeless appearance in the skin under the eyes.

In addition to the appearance of the blood vessels, fluid retention typically will also occur because of a lack of adequate sleep. Fluid retention under the eyes will also create puffiness.Collagen, the protein responsible for helping keep the skin elastic and firm, is made during sleep. In its deepest stages, deeper levels of sleep create growth-related hormones, which stimulate collagen creation. Therefore, if you have poor sleep patterns, there is a reduction in and eventually a decrease in collagen production, which results in fine lines and wrinkles, leading to premature skin aging.

Many factors affect how our skin ages. Two of those big factors are a lack of sleep and various forms of stress. When we do not adequately sleep, cortisol levels in the body tend to increase. When our cortisol levels rise, we have more body inflammation; if you have a skin issue, such as acne, psoriasis, or eczema, the chance of these skin issues becoming worse or having more severe symptoms while you are not getting enough quality sleep increases.

Therefore, if you have a lack of quality sleep or have multiple nights of chronic poor sleep, you will likely experience an increase in the severity of your acne and increased sensitivity to your skin.Is the lack of sleep combined with stress a risk factor for the future prevalence of skin problems, such as atopy? Another way in which sleep is important for our skin is that it assists in providing the skin with moisture.

Our skin has a barrier that allows moisture to be contained within the skin while preventing environmental damage. The skin barrier must function properly to maintain the integrity of the barrier and, therefore, allow for hydration.

If your body has a lack of sleep, there may be damage to your epidermis due to a lack of moisture in the epidermis, increased sensitivity to irritants, and loss of its protective ability to function.

When these types of issues occur, the skin becomes dull and/or loses elastic or resilient properties.

The quality of sleep you get each night has an effect on both the health and appearance of your skin. As stated by the National Sleep Foundation, most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep; therefore, adults must establish a consistent bedtime ritual, along with eliminating screen time at least one hour before sleep, as well as creating an optimal environment for getting quality rest.

Managing stress can support both the quality of sleep received and the quality/health of the skin, and can be accomplished through various activities such as yoga, reading, and light exercise.In addition to having good sleep habits, you can improve your quality of sleep even further by making some healthy lifestyle choices: Drink lots of water; eat a balanced diet; don't consume excessive caffeine or alcohol within one hour before going to bed.

When these healthy behaviors are combined with a good skin care program, they will create the best possible environment for your skin to heal and regenerate.You will not achieve healthy-looking skin from using topical creams and/or other cosmetic procedures. Instead, you will achieve the best-looking skin from your body’s single most natural beauty enhancer, sleep. When you become committed to obtaining good quality sleep, you allow your skin to achieve its full potential for maintaining good health.By - Arpit Gupta, Founder, AG Organica