It’s amazing how much our skin can change to reflect our waking habits. Our skin is a great barometer of our internal health and as such it’s fascinating to see how our behaviour affects our skin’s tone and clarity.

Some days we can wake up with skin that is fresh and clear. And other days we look in the mirror and gasp in horror at skin that is blemished and grey. Whilst there is an ever-increasing range of products for sale on the make up stands that can temporarily mask any discolouring, nothing is going to do more to affect your skin than how you live your life. And sleep in particular has a massive effect.

The healing power of sleep

In the daytime our skin performs a protective role to defend the body from nasty germs. But night-time is the time where our skin goes into recovery mode by sending new cells to the outermost skin layers to replace old or damaged cells.

And in order for your skin to do this, you need to have prolonged, deep sleep. Failure to do so can swiftly lead to acne, eczema, psoriasis and those tell-tale dark circles around the eyes that are the result of stagnant blood that hasn’t been properly drained from the blood vessels.

But getting routine and sustained periods of deep sleep can have miraculous powers too. Deep sleep means that the skin recovers more quickly from environmental stresses, gains a greater defensive power, and produces more natural collagen to keep you looking younger and healthier.

Getting the perfect night’s sleep

So if you want that glowing complexion, you’ll need to invest in a few sleep-maximising techniques.

First of all, check your bed. Nobody’s going to get a good night’s sleep on decrepit bed. So why not invest in a comfortable new bed that can facilitate some seriously deep sleep.

Exercising late in the day is another way to help sleeping habits. This allows our brain to switch off from working activities and allows our bodies to feel naturally exercised and agreeably sleepy.

Getting a nice, hot bath with some relaxing chamomile oils will not only make you feel cleansed and fresh, but will act as an important psychological mark in the day to help you gradually wind down for bed time.

And finally, if you’re really desperate, an overnight mask of specially treated oils and creams can help accelerate the skin’s overnight rejuvenation by nourishing the epidermis gradually to reveal a brighter complexion.