Well it's official - the secret to looking and staying young is something we continually had drummed into us from the time we were kids. It's sleep and the truth is, most people don't get enough of it.

It's an antiaging solution which is rarely discussed. Well, not as a solution to slowing down the process of looking old.

Antiaging And Lack Of Sleep

Lack of sleep can affect people in several ways. For example, it can impact a person's facial features, their weight and believe it or not, it can also impact a person's lifespan.

Sleep has always been a fascination for scientists and research indicates it's more than just resting one's body and mind. In fact, that in itself can explain why it's surfacing as an antiaging solution.

The suggested sleep time a person should get is between 7-8 hours. Less can impact many facets of our existence. Here are just a few:

• Longevity and sleep are related according to research. Related in the fact that lack of sleep can affect a person's mood, blood pressure and their depressive state.

• Appearance can be affected by a lack of sleep. Sleep is known to be an important time for the body's repair mechanisms to spring into action. Slumber is a time when the body produces growth hormone to help repair tissue damage. It's also a time when our body cells benefit through the absorption of blood nutrients.

• Weight gain through lack of sleep is directly related to a slowing down of the metabolism. Combined with an increase in appetite, this is a dangerous combination.

• Sleep is a time when your brain is able to store away short term memories. The benefit of this is like a computer hard drive; it's then able to make room for more memories the following day. In fact, it's something like a de-fragmentation where the hard drive is reorganized into it's various compartments.

Does this mean you should get as much sleep as you can? Not necessarily. The truth is, simply be sensible. Taking short naps during any part of the day when appropriate makes good sense.

The most important point to remember though - get your 7-8 eight sleep a night. It could very well be the antiaging solution you've desperately searched for and the irony is, it's right under your nose.