Beauty sleep: what really happens to your skin at night

„Beauty sleep“ sounds like something from a cosmetics advert – but it’s a biological reality. Whilst we sleep, the skin switches from defence mode to repair mode. What happens (or doesn’t happen) at night is evident in the morning.

The skin’s night-time cycle

At night, cell renewal increases and repair processes are in full swing. During deep sleep, the Growth hormone its peak level during the day – one of the main drivers for the fibroblasts that produce collagen. At the same time, the skin loses more moisture at night (transepidermal water loss increases) – which is why it sometimes feels drier in the morning.

The effects of sleep deprivation

Poor sleep leaves visible signs. In a study by Oyetakin-White et al. (2015) Poor sleepers showed more signs of premature skin ageing and a slower recovery of the skin barrier. What’s more, a lack of sleep increases the cortisol levels – and cortisol inhibits collagen synthesis and promotes inflammation.

The keys to a good night’s sleep

• Enough deep sleep (7–9 hours): the stage at which the repair actually takes place.
• Overnight humidity: because the skin loses moisture at night – using a richer moisturiser in the evening helps.
• Sleep in a cool, dark room: promotes the melatonin cycle; melatonin also has an antioxidant effect.
• Reducing stress: Less cortisol, more recovery.

Why the evening routine matters

Night-time collagen production needs building blocks – and the evening is the ideal time to provide them. That is precisely why liquid collagen Best taken in the evening: it provides hydrolysed peptides and vitamin C when the skin switches to repair mode. The daytime counterpart describes the Morning routine for glowing skin. Anyone who enters the Menopause Those who sleep poorly are particularly aware of this effect.

The skin repairs itself at night – but only if you let it sleep. Beauty sleep isn’t a myth; it’s down to your metabolism.