The impact of long-term insomnia on the human body is extensive and far-reaching. One of the common side effects is the aggravation of dark circles. Dark circles not only affect appearance, but may also be a warning sign of health problems. This article will explore how long-term insomnia leads to the aggravation of dark circles, and analyze the physiological mechanisms behind it, related risks and improvement measures.
1. Definition and impact of insomnia
Insomnia usually refers to difficulty falling asleep, poor sleep quality or insufficient sleep time, accompanied by daytime sleepiness and fatigue. Long-term insomnia not only affects the body's recovery and immune system, but may also lead to a series of psychological and physiological problems. Continuous lack of sleep can affect a variety of physiological functions in the body, including hormone secretion, metabolic rate, and brain repair function. The worsening of dark circles under the eyes is a common external manifestation caused by insomnia. Many insomnia patients often find that their eyes have not recovered even after resting for a period of time.
2. Causes of Dark Circles
Dark circles refer to the dullness or darkening of the skin around the eyes. There are many common causes, mainly including the following:
Vascular dilation : The skin around the eyes is relatively thin and the blood vessels are more concentrated. When blood circulation is poor or venous return is blocked, blood is retained in the blood vessels of the eyes, causing the color of the blood vessels to appear bluish-purple through the thin skin, thus forming dark circles.
Pigmentation : Long-term eye pressure or friction may cause pigmentation in the eye skin, resulting in dark circles.
Aging and skin sagging : As we age, the elasticity of the skin around the eyes gradually decreases, the supporting structure of the tissues around the eyes begins to loosen, and the blood vessels under the eyes are easily exposed, which aggravates the formation of dark circles.
Lack of sleep : Lack of sleep directly affects blood circulation and metabolism, causing blood stagnation in the area around the eyes and aggravating the formation of dark circles.
3. How does insomnia increase dark circles?
Insomnia affects the body's physiological functions in many ways, thereby aggravating the appearance of dark circles. The following are several major mechanisms by which insomnia aggravates dark circles:
1. Poor blood circulation
Long-term insomnia can cause the body to be in a state of high tension and fatigue, the excitability of the sympathetic nerves increases, causing vasoconstriction and slow blood flow, which can lead to poor blood circulation around the eyes and untimely venous blood return, causing blood stagnation in the eyes and increasing the formation of dark circles.
2. Hormone secretion disorder
Insomnia can affect the secretion of multiple hormones in the body, especially cortisol (the stress hormone). Long-term high levels of cortisol will not only increase the body's inflammatory response, but also interfere with normal blood circulation. As cortisol increases, blood vessel walls may become more fragile, causing blood to easily leak into the tissues around the eyes, further aggravating the formation of dark circles.
3. Decreased immune system function
Insomnia can affect the normal functioning of the immune system, resulting in the inability to promptly remove metabolic waste and toxins from the body. These wastes accumulate in the body, especially in the skin around the eyes, which is prone to pigmentation due to its weak structure, thereby deepening the color of dark circles.
4. Decreased skin repair ability
Normal sleep time is a critical period for skin repair and regeneration. In the case of insufficient sleep, the skin's repair function is inhibited, and the regeneration rate of eye cells slows down, causing congestion of blood vessels and tissues around the eyes, increasing the formation of dark circles.
5. Edema and toxin accumulation
Insomnia often leads to water metabolism disorders in the body, and edema is prone to occur around the eyes, which aggravates the appearance of dark circles. In addition, long-term insomnia may prevent toxins from being effectively excreted from the body. Toxins accumulate in the eyes, causing the skin to become dull and dark circles to worsen.
4. The harm of long-term insomnia causing dark circles under the eyes
Long-term dark circles not only affect your appearance, but may also be an indicator of certain health problems. Dark circles caused by long-term insomnia usually mean that your sleep quality is extremely poor and your body's ability to repair and recover is seriously reduced. The following are several major hazards that long-term insomnia may cause:
Decreased immunity : Long-term insomnia can lead to a decline in the immune system and easily induce various diseases, including colds, infections and chronic diseases.
Psychological problems : Long-term lack of sleep can lead to increased psychological stress and make it easy to develop psychological problems such as anxiety and depression.
Accelerated skin aging : The worsening of dark circles caused by insomnia is usually accompanied by a decline in skin quality. Long-term lack of sleep will accelerate the aging process of the skin, making the skin loose, rough, and wrinkled.
Decreased cognitive ability : Lack of sleep will affect the brain's cognitive function, and memory, attention and reaction speed may all decline. In severe cases, it may even affect work and daily life.
5. How to relieve dark circles caused by insomnia
For the dark circles caused by long-term insomnia, you can alleviate it in the following ways:
1. Improve sleep quality
The most effective way is to improve sleep quality, ensure adequate sleep time every day, maintain a regular schedule, avoid overeating, caffeine intake and over-stimulating activities before bedtime, create a good sleeping environment, and help restore adequate sleep.
2. Maintain good living habits
A reasonable diet and moderate exercise can promote blood circulation, help improve the condition of dark circles, and consume more foods rich in vitamins C, E and iron to help the skin restore elasticity and reduce the formation of dark circles.
3. Eye care
Regularly perform eye massage to promote blood circulation, reduce edema and blood retention. You can use eye cream containing ingredients such as caffeine and vitamin K to help reduce eye puffiness and pigmentation.
4. Reduce stress and relax
Long-term stress is an important factor leading to insomnia. Learning to reduce stress and relax, such as meditation, deep breathing and yoga, can effectively relieve stress, improve sleep quality, and thus reduce the formation of dark circles.
Beauty Encyclopedia Tips: Long-term insomnia not only has adverse effects on physical health, but also aggravates the formation of dark circles. Taking effective measures in time to improve sleep quality and combining healthy living habits and eye care can effectively reduce the trouble of dark circles and restore a healthy and beautiful appearance.