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Short-term effects of bad sleep |
Long-term impact on health |
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Impaired cognitive function |
Increased risk of: |
Luckily there are many easy ways to improve the quality of your sleep:
- Maintain a consistent sleep routine
- Exercise daily, but not too close to bedtime
- Cut out caffeine after midday
- Have a light dinner at dusk
- Turn off digital devices two hours before bed
Lack of sleep is also intimately linked to skin. Prolonged sleep deprivation causes accentuated signs of ageing including dark circles, puffiness, and wrinkles. Skin conditions can in turn affect sleep: 90% of children with eczema have trouble getting a good night’s rest due to persistent itching. It’s a vicious cycle.
TOP CAUSES OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION
Unsurprisingly, children come top of the list when it comes to causes of interrupted sleep. Children who wake up during the night have a huge impact on their parents’ sleep quality.
Other key causes of sleep deprivation are work related. The pressures of a stressful job might mean you are carrying stress home with you. You might be a shift worker who must repeatedly switch between sleeping during the day and during the night, interrupting your sleep rhythms. Digital screens are another big cause of sleep deprivation.
DIGITAL DEVICES KEEP THE BRAIN IN WAKE-MODE
Many experts believe the rise in sleep problems are caused by our reliance on digital devices such as smartphones and tablets. This constant stimulation late at night keeps our minds on high alert, and the blue light from device screens inhibits the production of the sleep hormone, melatonin. Research shows that 20% of people leave their smartphones on at night, while 50% are woken by messages and 30% respond to messages straight away.
SIGNS YOU ARE SLEEP DEPRIVED
- Difficulty concentrating: Sleep deprivation affects brainpower, impacting on school or work performance.
- Irritable with mood swings: A lack of sleep can affect your ability to cope with life.
- Brain fog. Again, the effects on cognitive function can leave your brain in slow mode.
- Problems relating to others: Beyond intellectual function, loss of sleep can affect your EQ, making you less able to empathise.
- Loss of memory function: A bad night’s sleep will leave you feeling more forgetful.
HOW SLEEP IMPACTS SKIN QUALITY AND INCREASES THE VISIBLE SIGNS OF AGEING
Prolonged sleep deprivation can also cause accelerated signs of ageing in the skin including dark circles, puffiness, and wrinkles. This is because the body is not benefiting from important skin cell regeneration that happens while we sleep where collagen and elastin are produced and skin damage is repaired.
- Dark circles and under eye puffiness
- Increased wrinkles and loss of skin plumpness
- Sallow, lacklustre complexion
- Skin infections and cold sores
HOW SKIN CONDITIONS CAN IMPACT ON SLEEP QUALITY
Skin conditions such as atopic eczema can also affect sleep due to persistent itching, especially in children. A simple way of easing this discomfort is by adding a gentle emollient to their evening bath
La Roche-Posay conducted a clinical study showing that using gentle soap replacement such as LIPIKAR Syndet AP+ at bath time followed with LIPIKAR Baume AP+M gentle moisturising balm in the evening can hydrate, soothe and ease the discomfort caused by itching, helping your little one enjoy a more peaceful night.
Discover the Lipikar range for dry, itchy skin.
