Both deep and REM sleep have been linked to cell and tissue repair, so getting great shut-eye can with a sleep mask give your skin an extra boost. Collagen is made while you snooze, so getting more sleep can also help fight the appearance of wrinkles.
For the most part, when you wake up, those lines and wrinkles that you notice (which we often consider to be the sign of a good night's rest) will start to go away as you go about your morning routine. But if you sleep in the same position night after night, eventually, they can start to become more permanent.
Wrinkles. Studies have shown that pillows can compress the skin during sleep, particularly in people who sleep on their stomach or their side. Over time, this can lead to sleep wrinkles and contribute to the visible signs of aging. Sleeping without a pillow can stop the face from scrunching up during the night.
Those creases you wake up with after you've face-planted for a long night's rest? Not so harmless. "They are caused by the skin crunching against a pillowcase and breaking down collagen and elastic tissue," explains dermatologist Debra Jaliman, the author of Skin Rules.
Specifically, sleeping on the side or back is considered more beneficial than sleeping on the stomach. In either of these sleep positions, it's easier to keep your spine supported and balanced, which relieves pressure on the spinal tissues and enables your muscles to relax and recover.
Sleeping on your back is considered the best sleep position for healthy skin. When you sleep on your back, your face is not pressed against a pillow, which can help prevent wrinkles and acne caused by the friction and pressure of the pillow.
When you sleep on your side, you put tremendous pressure on one side. It flattens the cheekbone and triggers wrinkles on the side because of all the friction and pressure. Also, if you have applied any skincare product, the product might spread on the pillow and not get absorbed by your skin.
"That extra fluid helps to fill out the fine lines, making them less visible." As the day wears on, however, gravity draws the fluid down from the face causing creases to often appear more pronounced in the evening.
According to science the peak time for skin repair is between 9pm - midnight, this is due to our skin following a 24 hour cycle. It is therefore critical to take advantage of this time in order to maximise the benefits of beauty sleep.
Wrinkles are caused by a lack of collagen and a reduction in elasticity. However, sleep wrinkles are caused by repeatedly sleeping on your side (with your face smashed into a cotton pillowcase). Your head weighs about 11 pounds, and that amount of pressure on your face nightly can contribute to sleep wrinkles.
Skin makes new collagen when you sleep, which prevents sagging. “That's part of the repair process,” says Patricia Wexler, MD, a dermatologist in New York. More collagen means skin is plumper and less likely to wrinkle. Only getting 5 hours a night can lead to twice as many fine lines as sleeping 7 would.
If you try to sleep on your back for at least part of the night, it helps in preventing, or minimising, the lines and creases throughout the face that can become deeper over time, and helps keep symmetry.
The pillow for your head should support your head, the natural curve of your neck, and your shoulders. Sleeping on your stomach can create stress on the back because the spine can be put out of position.
Research reveals more women prefer to sleep on the left side of the bed than the right - and the reason why is super cute.
Sleeping on your left side can help naturally open the airways and make breathing easier. You may also find relief if you rest on your right side, but doctors believe sleeping on your left side to be more effective. It's also the recommended sleeping position for people with sleep apnea.
After a night of sleep, your skin needs to be woken up—not stripped of its natural oils via a medicated cleanser. "The number one thing that makes your face look older is being overly dry," says Julius Few, MD, director of the skin clinic at The Few Institute for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
Yes, memory foam pillows help prevent wrinkles on your face and chin. But it does not prevent wrinkles in the decolletage area.
Bottom line, yes: Silk pillowcases can improve skin and hair hydration, prevent fine lines and wrinkles, and result in smoother, frizz-free hair every morning.
Based on the body's measurements and personal preference, the pillow should maintain a height of 4 to 6 inches, properly supporting the head and neck (and shoulders when lying on back).
Gohara urges everyone to moisturize their body at night. "Even if you don't want to lube up your whole body, give extra love to your knees, heels, elbows, and any other patch of skin that tends to get really dry," she says.