Beauty Sleep Isn't Just a Dream

Bag the Botox, skip the spa, forgo the fillers and get some good old fashioned shut-eye if you're concerned about aging skin.

All of those topical solutions are at best temporary, and in the case of something like an injectable poison, at worst, dangerous. All are typically expensive.

One of the best things that doesn't cost a penny, but saves face in a most literal way, according to studies, is to get some sleep. Why? Cell turnover is eight times faster at night, Prevention magazine reports, which can help lessen those lines and wrinkles that may have crept up on you.

Also, the stress hormone cortisol (reportedly high levels of which are responsible for that stubborn belly fat if you're over-stressed or overtired) doesn't get a chance to flag if you don't get at least eight hours of sleep. High cortisol levels slow collagen production, according to Jyotsna Sahni, MD, a sleep medicine doctor at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, leading to, you guessed it, more wrinkles.

Beauty sleep is just one part of the nighttime arsenal required to take care of your skin. Prevention also recommends:

Washing your face. We've all been there: too tired to care, but it's a very important step to remove the makeup, grit and grime that's accumulated from the day. Also, nighttime treatments penetrate better into clean skin.Try a retinoid. Doesn't have to be prescription either. Vitamin A in the retinoids keep skin glowing. Prevention's drugstore picks include Neutrogena Tone Correcting Concentrated Serum Night from Ageless Intensives ($22) or La Roche-Posay Biomedic Retinol Cream 15 ($52.)Banish dark circles with a Vitamin K-enriched cream. Apply a moisturizer. This simple step will help ensure that your making the most the time your skin gets to renew itself.Also: try sleeping on your back to prevent pillow creases, elevate your head to prevent fluid build-up (i.e. bags under your eyes) and use a humidifier, which will keep the dry air of winter from drying you out.

Photo courtesy of Mi Pah@Flickr.