How To Improve Your Skin In Your Sleep

The phrase "beauty sleep" exists for a reason. We've all been there — after not getting enough shut-eye, we wake up to find dark circles under our eyes and our skin just not looking its best. But if we consistently get enough sleep and maintain a healthy nighttime skincare regimen, we can actually improve the health and appearance of our skin while sleeping.

First things first: Consistently getting seven to nine hours of sleep each night is crucial. A study published in The Clinical and Experimental Dermatology found that people who sleep at least seven hours a night have skin that's more moisturized and better able to heal itself from exposure to ultraviolet light compared to people who sleep for less than seven hours (via National Center for Biotechnology Information). 

After a long day we've all been tempted to splash some water on our faces and crash. But forming a bedtime skincare routine can do wonders for your skin (plus, it's a good way to unwind before hitting the sack). First, wash your face to make sure all your makeup is removed before you go to bed. Then, put on a moisturizer. Heather Wilson, a licensed aesthetician and director of brand development for InstaNatural, told Insider that she recommends wearing a heavier moisturizer at night than the one you wear during the day.

"We can apply some heavier moisturizers at night because we're not concerned about how they wear under makeup," Wilson told Insider. "So always opting for a bit more nourishing at night. There's a ton of different ways that you can do that, whether it's a specific night cream that's designed to do a really heavy-duty job at night, or just use an organic oil like an argan oil or a rosehip oil, something like that, to really lock in anything you've put underneath it like your serums and your toners."

The type of pillowcase you use can also make a difference. If you always sleep on your back, it's not as big a deal, per Healthline — but since most of us move around at least a bit in our sleep, it's worth getting a pillowcase that's kind to your skin. The best materials for your skin are silk and satin — and they get bonus points for being extra comfy.

Finally, make sure your skin is completely out of the sunlight the entire time you're asleep (via Healthline). Of course, most of us sleep when it's dark out, but if light filters into your room in the early morning hours, do more than put on an eye mask — put blackout curtains in your room so the UV rays don't hit your skin and interrupt its rejuvenation process.