Though the eight-hours-a-night rule has been widely debated in recent years, there are plenty of known, totally legit reasons why we should all be getting a solid night's sleep—scientifically speaking, as well as because it's just plain common sense. But in case you need another excuse to pass on your friend's boyfriend's roommate's party that you really don't want to go to, we have a good one: "beauty sleep." As it turns out, the phrase is named quite accurately—it's a real thing, and there's some science to help back it up.
In a recent meeting with dermatologist Dennis Gross, he started talking about the importance of nighttime skin care and—because Gross is a top expert and I'm always looking for extra reasons to sleep—I took notes. "While we're sleeping, skin has increased mitosis," he said. To a non-derm, who may or may not have paid full attention in high-school biology (editor's note: I fall into this category), mitosis is the cell division that occurs in order to renew and repair skin. "If the cells of the skin are regenerating at night, we should give them the vitamins they need." So to sum it up, skin, much like stoned college students, tends to get cravings in the middle of the night. Except in skin's case, it's craving nutrients that'll help it look refreshed in the morning, not pizza.
Another reason to be extra vigilant with your nighttime skin-care routine is that the moisture levels in your skin can drop overnight. "Skin can lose a lot of water while you sleep," says Doris Day, a dermatologist in New York City. Look for skin-care products that are specifically formulated for overnight use. "Night creams are usually more moisturizing than day creams, which can help with the absorption of vitamins and other ingredients," says Amanda Sergay, a dermatologist in New York City. Or if you want to take it one step further, consider a sleep mask. "The purpose [of overnight masks] is to create a permeable seal on top of your skin that makes anything underneath it penetrate better," Day says. The formulas also tend to be lighter, so you can actually wear them overnight without creating a mess on your pillowcase. (You might want to consider investing in a fancy, good-for-your-skin pillowcase.)
So yes, beauty sleep is a thing, and your skin depends on it. Mental note: Start hoarding night creams and sleep masks, stat.
For more on how to be a sleeping beauty, watch:
