Did you know that nearly 40 million Americans experience chronic insomnia and that around 1 in 4 Americans get insomnia every year? Unfortunately, that doesn’t bode well for your skin or facial appearance!

That’s because sleep is how your skin renews itself by maintaining its healthy pH levels and keeping your skin hydrated. A poor night’s sleep can leave you looking tired, your skin blotchy and even vulnerable to breaking out.

Pro tip: Make sure your bedtime moisturizing routine includes a product with acidity to keep your skin’s pH balanced and hydrated.

Good Sleep Matters

• Avoiding under-eye circles: Your beauty sleep also prevents you from getting those unsightly dark circles under your eyes. It happens when your blood vessels in your face become dilated because of a poor night’s sleep, keeping your skin cells from regenerating as they should.
• Alcohol before bedtime: A nightcap interferes with your REM (deep sleep) cycle, which is exactly when your body is busy regenerating its cells. It also keeps you from getting to that REM state and staying in it. Instead, you can find yourself experiencing unattractive under-eye circles, wrinkles on your upper and lower eyelids, and your complexion looking dull.
• Insufficient collagen production: This vital protein plumps up the skin while you sleep, boosting your facial appearance. Without this vital function, you’ll soon see more wrinkles and fine lines along with the skin in your face beginning to sag.

The good news is getting the high-quality sleep your skin needs can make you look years younger! To maintain that youthful appearance, you’ll want to maximize your beauty sleep, and to do that, you’ll want to sleep in the best position that ultimately protects your skin health.

Change Your Sleep Position

It’s not enough to get more beauty sleep, but you need to sleep in a position that will preserve your skin health night after night. The wrong sleep position can leave you with deep wrinkles, and sleeping on your side is one of those. As a side sleeper, you may see lines around your cheeks and chin that will deepen with time. Or, if you spend most of your night on your tummy, your face will also get wrinkles from pillow contact, especially on your forehead and upper-midface regions.

To get the most out of your time sleeping, switch to sleeping on your back! This simple shift can help you awaken with your smoothest-looking (and least-wrinkly) skin. Sleeping on your back is easy when you have pillows that support you under your head and neck areas and even under your knees if needed. Your mattress should also be firm, so your body feels supported all night long. If you want to look your best after a good night’s sleep, take the time to retrain your nightly sleeping position and stick to it. Your skin and face will make all the difference!

Plastic Surgery Solutions

If you have lines or wrinkles on your face and want to do something about it, we invite you to reach out to our plastic surgery team. Our board-certified facial plastic surgeon can work with you to give you the appearance you need to look and feel your most confident self. While aging normally takes its toll on the face and body, there are treatments to help you regain your youthful glow thanks to cosmetic surgical advances. Call today to learn more!