How often do you truly think about your sleep habits? Well, if you constantly look tired and older than your years, it might be time to reevaluate them! Believe it or not, the way you sleep can have a considerable impact on how you look.
Whether it’s wrinkles, under-eye bags, or a dull complexion, poor sleep can make you look older than you are. This article will list the different sleep habits that make you look older and how you can stop yourself from doing them.
How Do You Develop Bad Sleep Habits?
Most people have experienced sleepless nights at some point in their lives. But for some, poor sleep is a regular occurrence. Many factors can contribute to bad sleep habits, including stress, anxiety, and pain. Often, these factors can interact, making it even more challenging to get a good night’s rest. For example, someone dealing with anxiety may find it hard to relax at night, leading to restless sleep.
Or someone in pain may find it difficult to fall asleep in the first place. Over time, these poor sleep habits can affect physical and mental health. If you’re struggling to get a good night’s sleep, you must talk to your doctor about ways to improve your sleep habits.
Sleep Habits That Make You Look Older
While some bad sleep habits you have no control over, such as snoring, there are other habits that you can change. These include:
Not Getting Enough Sleep
Lack of sleep can negatively affect your health, including making you look older. Most people need around eight hours of sleep a night. However, according to a recent survey, more than one-third of American adults get less than that on a regular basis. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body produces more of the stress hormone cortisol. This hormone breaks down collagen, the protein that gives your skin its elasticity.
As a result, you may develop wrinkles or fine lines. In addition, lack of sleep can cause your skin to lose its natural moisture, making it drier and more likely to show age-related damage, such as age spots. So if you want to keep your skin looking young and healthy, make sure you get enough shut-eye.
Sleeping On Your Side
As you age, your skin starts to lose its elasticity. This decrease in elasticity can cause wrinkles and fine lines to form, particularly around the eyes and mouth. One sleep habit that can make these wrinkles worse is sleeping on your side. When you do this, your face presses against the pillow, causing creases to form. Over time, these creases can become permanent.
In addition, sleeping on your side can cause fluid to build up in the area around your eyes, leading to puffiness and dark circles. Try sleeping on your back instead to help keep your skin looking its best. This position helps to prevent creases from forming and allows your skin to retain its moisture better. As a result, you’ll wake up looking refreshed and well-rested – not to mention younger!
Sleeping With A TV On
Nearly two-thirds of Americans report watching TV in bed. While there are certainly benefits to unwinding with your favorite show before hitting the hay, sleeping with the TV on can make your skin seem aged. The blue light emitted from screens suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps to regulate our sleep cycle. This disruption can lead to decreased levels of REM sleep, which is essential for cell repair and regeneration.
In addition, exposure to blue light increases levels of inflammation, a major contributor to premature aging. So, if you want to keep your skin looking young and radiant, it might be time to give up your late-night TV habit.
