Can Beauty Sleep Be The Key To A Better Complexion?

Akin to sipping from the Fountain of Youth, a good night’s sleep provides you with the renewal process you need to wake up to glowing skin.

While skin does a formidable job of defending itself against environmental aggressors throughout the day, it switches up a gear come nighttime. All the collagen repair and antioxidant activity happens when we are sleeping, and a surge of HGH (human growth hormone) floods the skin while you catch Zzz’s, which aids body tissue repair and helps regenerate any cells damaged during the day.

But beauty sleep is only as restorative as you allow it to be, which is why it’s crucial to implement a solid nighttime routine, from supercharged skincare to supportive sleep aids, will ensure you’ll wake up with a glow from top to toe.

Ahead of World Sleep Day on Friday 18 March, we examine how sleep quality affects skin, along with sharing how Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex is one of the must-have products to include in a nightly skincare routine conducive to a good night's rest.

The Science Of Sleep

Multiple lockdowns over the past two years have seen the boundaries between work and home life blurred, and the inability to switch off after logging off has seen many people engage in “Revenge Bedtime Procrastination” — a habit in which people stay up later in a bid to make up for a lack of downtime in the day.

If this seems counterintuitive, it is. Staying up later can only lead to increased exhaustion and it doesn’t do your complexion any favours, either. A poor night’s sleep can lead to poor skin health — swollen or darkened under-eyes, pale skin, more wrinkles and fine lines, and drooping in the corners of the mouth.

With lifestyles as busy as ours, nighttime is an optimal opportunity for the body to repair itself. Blood flow to the skin increases and collagen production is stimulated, helping heal skin from UV exposure, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and pigmentation.

To harness the power of a good night’s sleep, try to practice good sleep hygiene. Consider building as relaxing bedtime routine, invest in quality pillows and bedding, avoid blue-light and digital screens, and make time for pre-sleep rituals. With World Sleep Day right around the corner, now’s as good a time as ever to put this into practice. It's best to stick to the same bed-time every evening, and aim for seven to nine hours sleep nightly for skin that’s more healthy, resilient and youthful-looking. After all, it’s called “beauty sleep” for a reason.

Nightly Self-Care Rituals

There’s something eternally soothing about a nightly skincare ritual. Washing away the day feels metaphoric, not only cleansing skin of accumulated dirt or grime, but cleansing the day’s energies and worries — a moment of self-care and a time for reflection as we prepare the hit the hay.

Appealing to skincare aficionados the world over, night-time skincare experts Estee Lauder understand the inextricable link between skin and sleep, which is why they formulated the original Advanced Night Repair in 1982. The first-of-its-kind formula pioneered the way for hyaluronic acid and revolutionised the nighttime repair skincare category, which has since boomed in popularity.

Like beauty sleep in a bottle, Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex is brimming with tripeptide-32, which promotes the natural synchronisation of the skin's natural circadian rhythm — a cycle of protect/repair which switches from day to night.

It’s flanked by a host of other hero ingredients said to promote optimum skin health, including high levels of hyaluronic acid, which locks in moisture for up to 72 hours, alongside its patented Chronolux Power Signal Technology to address the multiple signs of aging by increasing the skin’s natural renewal of its cells.

Together, these ingredients accelerate skin repair and supercharge collagen production in the skin, meaning you wake up to skin that appears plump, radiant, hydrated and more youthful-looking.

According to Angela Casley, Viva’s recipe editor, the best-selling serum shouldn’t be reserved solely for nighttime use. The skincare buff has used the multi-use elixir religiously for years now, citing its beauty benefits of protecting skin from environmental aggressors which fast-track skin ageing, like pollution, blue light, dust and UV exposure for up to eight hours.

"ANR has always been a cornerstone in my nightly beauty routine, but I love slathering it on before my tinted moisturiser in the daytime, too," Angela says. "Its lightweight texture means it absorbs quickly into my skin, leaving it hydrated and nourished for the steps to follow."

The results? Well, they speak for themselves. Research conducted by the brand showed after three weeks of continued use 88 per cent of women claimed skin appeared more youthful, with lines and wrinkles visibly reduced, and by the time the bottle was finished, 89% of women agreed skin felt firmer with renewed vitality while pores looked diminished.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex is priced from $110 for 30ml, $159 for 50ml, or $205 for 75ml, and is available from Estee Lauder counters nationwide, or online at Esteelauder.co.nz