Some people try to act like sleep isn’t a big deal. Well, I disagree.
It’s literally the foundation of youth & effectiveness. We tend to spend 6-8 hours sleeping so your sleep situation should very much be optimized. This means putting some thought into the way you sleep- like the vibes you create while you sleep & how long you sleep.
Personally, I need at least 8 hours- but like 8 & a half if I’m being a greedy bitch. I usually am.
We’ve gone over my whole obnoxious nighttime routine before ( the oil diffuser is on, the salt rock lamp is glowing, my TWO noise machines are going, the lights are dim, the Barefoot Dreams blankets are out, my head is on a silk pillowcase & my books are ready to read ), but recently I’ve started to pay attention to my sleep position.
Then The Daily Mail came out with an article all about how your sleeping position can age you & immediately I knew I needed to dig deep & write an article for The Skinny Confidential.
If you’re like me, you’ve woken up on certain days & seen a huge crease in your face. & if you think about it, getting a crease on your face night after night, day after day, can’t be good for your skin. Ya feel me?
After doing some major research I found that skin care experts really recommend laying flat on your back while you sleep, which I’m totally fine with because I love this position. HOWEVER, in the middle of the night I roll onto my side & I can totally see a loss of collagen in this side of my face opposed to the other side.
In fact, even the American Academy of Dermatology is a fan of people sleeping on their backs to avoid facial aging. But not only facial aging! Have you guys ever noticed that when you sleep on your side you wake up with deep creases in your chest? I feel like it also really sags the boobs & neck.
Just a side note here: we usually wake up looking puffy & that’s because when you lay down all the fluid goes to your face. I learned this after jaw surgery so I started to sleep elevated. 2 pillows instead of one does the trick.
Ok, back to sleeping on your back. If you sleep with your face down or to one side, all the fluid is going to go to that area & will make you puffy in the morning. It’s also going to bring out wrinkles on that side of your face.
As you know, I’m a big fan of small habits that add up to big successes, but small habits can also add up to things like aging too. So if you’re constantly sleeping on one side, & it’s a repetitive habit, that side of your face is going to age way quicker.
What’s even more wild is that many dermatologists & doctors have said that when they look at their patients they can tell what side they sleep on. Which gives me even more of an incentive to sleep on my fucking back.
Also if you have acne, many derms recommend sleeping on your back even more so, because you don’t want to spread the bacteria. Sometimes even when you sleep on your side & drool, that drool can cause bacteria to get on your face.
It’s worth a mention that even Lisa Rinna from Real Housewives knows all about this. She never gets a massage facing down, she always lays facing up. It’s totally inspired me because it’s so true. Getting a massage & laying down on your face can’t be good for you. You need to preserve the plumpness & youthfulness of your skin. Maybe I’m a total psycho but I can’t help it. I think about these things. So now, whenever I get a massage, you’ll find me face up.
So I guess my thing is just be mindful about how you’re sleeping. Even small little changes to this can make all the difference. Speaking of your pillow, silk or satin is the way to go. I heard satin absorbs less of your skin care, so that’s nice.
I had been using a silk pillowcase for a while, but in our move from San Diego to LA I lost mine so didn’t use one for way too long. I could not believe my skin, & my hair was more dry ( like waaaaaaay drier ), & I wasn’t sleeping well anymore. My hairstylist, Katie, even mentioned that she noticed I wasn’t sleeping on a silk pillowcase.
If you’re unfamiliar with a silk pillowcase the benefits include:
♡ hypoallergenic, naturally- resistant to the accumulation of mould, dirt, & other allergens that could be playing a role in any skin problems.
♡ smooths the face- you’ll wake up looking fresh instead of having pillowcase marks imprinted on your face.
♡ doesn’t absorb moisture- this prevents bacteria & odor on your pillowcase & also keeps hydration in your skin.
♡ good for your hair- see ya rat’s nest & split ends.
♡ great for any climate- Aspen or Palm Springs, you’ll be good.
♡ silk is natural; it’s spun by silk worms- the fabric contains 18 amnio acids ( << which are amaze for your skin ).
♡ looks & feels super elegant & luxurious.
According to an article I found ( of which the link is broken & I can’t find it ), “while you sleep at night, your skin is getting nourished by this beautiful silk. First the feeling of sleeping on silk is so luxurious and elegant but it’s also good for you. Most plastic surgeons and dermatologists can tell you when you go and visit them, they can see which side of your face you sleep on by the sleep lines on your face. Those sleep lines turn into permanent wrinkles. Because silky fabric is so soft and silky, your face glides. It’s not causing friction and causing sleep lines. Silk’s naturally hypoallergenic, because of the tight weave between the silk fibers, it doesn’t allow dust mites and other nasty things to get in there. It’s actually been tested and proven that silk is naturally hypoallergenic. And when it comes to cotton, it creates friction, which is why when you sleep on cotton you can wake up with sleep lines. If you’re putting those really expensive skin care products on your skin at night, where do you think that product is going? That product is actually getting absorbed into your cotton pillowcase.”
Um…are you sold yet?
While we’re on the subject of aging, I think cortisol is very aging too. I personally use the bedtime alarm on my iPhone which wakes you up gently over 5 minutes with a really nice sound, opposed to a traditional alarm. I find an alarm to be really jarring & it’s just not how I want to start my day.
These are just tips & tricks to be more mindful about your sleeping position. After looking into this, I’ve been more careful about sleeping on my back & on my silk pillowcase. As I said, here’s the deal: if you’re going to spend 8 hours a day, for the next 8 million years sleeping, you may as well think about the way you sleep.
& if you take any tips away from this blog post, at least even it out. So if you sleep on your left side, try to even it out by sleeping on your right sometimes too.
Benefits of Sleeping on Your Back:
♡ keeps your spine aligned
♡ reduces tension headaches
♡ helps chronic conditions by reducing pressure & compression
♡ relieves sinus buildup
♡ helps avoid creases, wrinkles & irritated facial skin
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( If you’re pregnant it’s recommended that if you sleep on your back, you have your head & knees elevated. So I’ll do this with a pregnancy pillow then add an extra pillow behind my head.
So, now I’m off to sleep on my back, read my latest book & turn on my noise machine.
x, lauryn
+ more tips on optimizing your sleep situation.
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Thank you sharing such helpful tips
thank you for reading!
xoxo
Thank you so much for the tips Lauryn! I wish there was a vegan silk pillowcase–though I think there is–that you can personally recommend! I am a huge fan of sleeping on my back–it’s more comfortable and I feel less sore in the morning too! Just have to work on not curving my face towards the side of my pillow. That could be a bit problematic in the future!
have not seen a vegan one! if you find one let us know <3
Is silk and satin equal as far as benefits or do you recommend one more than the other? Thank You !!!
silk is a natural fiber, so i think that one might be better!
So I sleep on my side. I’ve been trying for years to be able to sleep on my back but can never seem to do it. Any tips on how to become a back sleeper?!?
sometimes meditating before bed while laying on back helps me fall asleep on back, or reading before bed!
What do you do with your hair when you sleep? I’m typically a side sleeper. When I try to sleep on my back, I find my hair gets in the way – it either folds and creases, or a ponytail pushes against my head.
bun! also try a scrunchie, might be softer against your head
The relation between wrinkles and the side sleeping position is not new to me. But I keep on sleeping on my side, not on my own will I must say. During the night my body tosses all over the place. So while I can fall asleep on my back I tend to wake up with my face smashed upon my pillow or bed.
One trick I currently use to prevent major wrinkles from my eye area is using a sleep mask
smart ! thank u for sharing
Sleeping on your back can also reduce the wrinkling and creasing in your décolletage area that you get as you age.
oooo and we don’t want wrinkles ANYWHERE
I recently bought a sunrise simulation alarm clock and it’s pure magic! The absolute most soothing way to wake up. Amazon baby!
can never get enough amazon
Very helpful article. All the benefits of a good night sleep you have mentioned in this article are great. There are some other health benefits of a good sleep such as Live longer, Curb inflammation, Spur creativity, Improve your grades, Sharpen attention, healthy weight, Lower stress, Steer clear of depression, etc. For a good health, a good night sleep is a must. To get a good night sleep, one should follow some tricks such as use a comfortable mattress, turn off all electronic device, keep room temperature comfortable, go to bed as early as possible etc. Thank you for share this helpful and well-written article.
thanks for reading !
You have become my new obsession! ❤️
<3
Loved this but need a tiny bit of help! (Don’t we all, ha) how do you set up your pillows so your neck doesn’t hurt? I tried adding one more pillow last night and I woke up with the biggest neck pain ever. Any tips or graphs you could share? Thank you!
no but that is a good idea!