Did you know poor sleepers show a 30 percent slower sunburn and blemish recovery rate when compared to those who rated their sleep as good? We told you beauty sleep is real! Founder of the Sleep Genius smart phone app, Colin House, gave us even more facts to explain why sleep is the best investment for beautiful skin:

How does sleep or lack thereof affect our skin?

When you don't sleep enough, your body releases a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is in charge of balancing your inflammatory system, so when you do not get enough sleep, there is too much cortisol and you appear more inflamed. 

How big of a difference in blemish recovery do poor sleepers have when compared to those who get enough rest?

In an Estee Lauder study, results show those who rate their sleep as good have a 30% quicker recovery time from sunburns and other skin damaging issues. 

How can you tell you're not getting enough sleep based on your skin?

Those who rated their sleep as bad had an increase of wrinkles and signs of aging compared to those who rated their sleep as good.  It is ideal to try and get 8 hours of sleep.

Can you makeup for the hours you miss during the week on the weekend?

No. Your body needs those eight hours to get into the correct sleep pattern, which will also lead to the correct hormone balance and help reproduce new skin.

What if you're an insomniac or have serious trouble falling asleep?

The Sleep Genius app used NASA research to help create music that will put you to sleep due to special algorithms. Those with sleep problems, such as insomnia, should start the app a half hour before bed to help calm down, then play the music to help sync their brain to sleep-induced algorithms and pink noise. 

How should we use sleep to boost our beauty regime?

Getting 8 hours of sleep is the easiest and cheapest way to have healthy skin. The app also includes a power nap feature that will help you ease into a restful nap and gently wake you over a course of a few minutes. 

Getting enough shut-eye? Tell us with a note below!