Wouldn’t it be great if we could just fall asleep at night and wake up in the morning with beautiful skin? 

Well, as a matter of fact, this isn’t too far from reality. In case you didn’t know, there is a LOT of repair, healing, and rejuvenation that occurs on the surface of your skin at night while you are getting your Z’s. 

Read on to learn why a “sleep routine” is so vitally important for the health of your skin– and how a one-of-kind CHARLíS formula can give you the advantage you need to “beautify your skin” while you sleep.

Our Sleep-Deprived World 

We’ve all done it—burned the midnight oil, stayed up to watch that favorite movie, or simply had too much on our minds to fall peacefully asleep. Sometimes we can’t help but lose some shut eye. When this happens, hopefully we can make it up the next night by getting to bed early or letting ourselves snooze a little past the alarm. 

On the other hand, if you are one of the millions of people in the United States who suffer regularly from sleep-related issues, take heart because you are not alone.  In fact, a Center for Disease Control report states that “one in every three” American adults consistently get by with 6 hours or less of sleep a night. (1) 

Lack of sleep (and lack of quality sleep, which I will talk about next) can lead to inflammation and hormonal imbalance, lower immunity, and weight gain. Worst of all, lack of sleep can show up on your face since it can also shorten chromosomal telomere length, which is linked to longevity. (2) 

Quality Sleep: What It Is and Why Your Skin Needs It  

Another term for quality sleep is “deep sleep.” Deep sleep is defined by the Sleep Foundation as sleep where the brain is able to rest and enter into both theta and delta “brain wave patterns.” Theta is where dreaming is most likely to happen. Delta is where healing, repair, and restoration of key body organs, including the skin, mostly occurs. (3)  

Of course, the first step to quality sleep is to get enough of it. For more sleep experts, this means 7 to 9 hours of sleep where: 

• You fall asleep within about a half an hour of going to bed
• You only wake up once (or not at all) during the night
• You wake up feeling rested and you do not feel tired during the day. (4)

A good night’s sleep is absolutely vital for the healthy maintenance of the body’s largest organ. In fact, the body goes to work repairing and rejuvenating the skin almost immediately once we fall asleep. During the first few hours, a peptide growth hormone called somatotropin is produced by the pituitary gland. Somatotropin is vital for daily skin repair. Studies have found that lower somatotropin levels, which inevitably happens when we don’t get enough sleep, can accelerate the aging process. (5) 

The production and utilization of somatotropin is just one mechanism among many that relies on the sleep process…and all it takes is a little shut eye to get that process started. 

Want Deep, Restorative Sleep for Beautiful Skin? Create a “Bedtime Routine” 

As much as we may crave adventure and change, what our body craves most for health are consistent routines. This is especially true when it comes to what we choose to do in the hours before we crawl into bed. 

According to sleep expert Sanchin Panda, PhD , author of the best-selling book The Circadian Code, a healthy “sleep cycle” for most people starts at around 10 pm. This is when melatonin begins to kick in and cortisol levels go down. Melatonin is also a powerful cancer inhibitor. It is  important for gut health and, most importantly, it is a major hormonal regulator. It is key for the production of serotonin, especially in the morning hours. (6) Around 10 pm is also when the brain begins to go through distinct phases that will eventually lead to that “deep, dreamless delta sleep” where the most restoration for the body can occur. (7) 

Just to be clear — for all of the above to happen, a person needs to be actually snoozing by 10 p.m. (not getting ready for bed). If you are a night owl, this could mean a slight adjustment to your schedule throughout the day and into the evening hours. 

And if you are having sleep challenges now, you may want to try the “10-3-2-1-0 Rule” to get back to a healthy sleep cycle. This means that:

• 10 hours before bed, you stop drinking caffeine. 
• 3 hours before bed, you stop eating.
• 2 hours before bed, you stop working. 
• 1 hour before bed, you turn off all electronics (including the TV). (8)

No TV Before Bed? What Will I Do? 

One of the most difficult, yet perhaps the most important, decisions you can make for better sleep is to simply “turn it all off” one hour before bed. Of course, I am talking about computers, tablets, cellphones, and even the TV. The reason has to do with “blue light.”

“Blue light” is the type of light that is emitted from the screens of most electronic devices. A 2010 study conducted at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York found that high amounts of “screen time” especially at night can lead to skewed levels of both melatonin and cortisol as well as negative effects on both the endocrine and nervous system. (9) 

Instead of watching TV, checking social media, or working on your computer right before bed, try engaging in activities that can encourage your body and brain to rest. Some examples are:

• Taking a warm bath
• Listening to soothing music
• Reading a calming book 
• Having a relaxing cup of herbal tea

Make the Most of Your Sleep with CHARLíS 

Sometimes, simply the act of preparing for bed can put our body and brain “in the mood” for slumber. As we lower the lights, change into our PJs, brush our teeth, and wash and moisturize our face, this can signal to the whole body that it is time to sleep! 

While you are going through your nightly routine, don’t forget the extra steps you can put into place to give your skin the advantage it needs for healing throughout the night. This is where the unique, one-of-a-kind ingredients in the CHARLíS Restorative Anti-Aging Overnight Serum can really help. Its “superstar” ingredients include: 

• Oxidized Glutathione. Glutathione is a super antioxidant that the body produces naturally in the liver. It protects against free radicals and is a key anti-aging substance for the body overall. When applied to the skin, oxidized glutathione can help reduce wrinkles, tighten up loose skin, and even help remove blemishes. 
• Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate. Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate is a special highly absorbable form of vitamin C. Vitamin C is absolutely essential for the production and synthesis of collagen and is also a protective agent and antioxidant. 
• Chlorella Vulgaris Extract. Chlorella is a type of “microalgae” that is packed with proteins, minerals, and lipids to nourish skin to the deepest levels. It is a solid source of B vitamins, an oxygenator and detoxifier, and when used on the surface of the skin, can significantly encourage UV protection, pigmentation reduction, and skin anti-aging in general. 
•  Aloe Leaf Extract. Aloe is known for how it can moisturize and repair dry skin especially. It is also an excellent wound healer, especially for sun burns and rashes. Its super-healing characteristics are why it is found in pretty much all CHARLíS formulas. (10) 

Heal Your Skin While You Sleep! 

By now it should be obvious- your body needs sleep to stay healthy and balanced and your skin needs sleep to repair, rejuvenate and look great. Take some time this week to discover what kind of “bedtime routine” works for you and consider the  “10-3-2-1-0 Rule” to help you prepare for maximum rest, especially if you currently have sleep challenges. 

Most importantly, for the health of your skin, do all you can to help your largest organ heal and repair naturally while you sleep. This means using the very best formula for overnight support, protection, and rejuvenation. In my book — and many CHARLíS customers will agree — that formula is the CHARLíS Restorative Anti-Aging Overnight Serum.

The CHARLíS Restorative Anti-Aging Overnight Serum is part of the CHARLíS Face Collection. 

References: 

(1) How Much Sleep Do I Need?
(2) Sleep and Chronic Disease
(3) How To Determine Poor Sleep Quality
(4) The Subjective Meaning of Sleep Quality: A Comparison of Individuals with and without Insomnia
(5) Hypothalamic Hormones
(6) Signal transduction of the melatonin receptor MT1 is disrupted in breast cancer cells by electromagnetic fields
(7) The Circadian Code: Lose Weight, Supercharge Your Energy, and Transform Your Health from Morning to Midnight 
(8) Sleep: The most overlooked cause of belly fat
(9) The Effects of Red and Blue Lights on Circadian Variations in Cortisol, Alpha Amylase, and Melatonin
(10) ALOE VERA: A SHORT REVIEW