5 Habits That Sabotage Your Beauty Sleep

3 Key Takeaways

• Your nighttime habits directly impact your skin’s ability to repair and regenerate, even with the best skincare products.
• Simple changes like sleeping earlier, washing pillowcases regularly, and maintaining a consistent skincare routine can improve skin health and slow down visible aging.
• Pairing good sleep hygiene with professional treatments can enhance results and help restore radiance, clarity, and overall skin quality.

Beauty sleep is not a myth. Lack of quality rest not only increases your cortisol (stress hormone) levels, but also triggers inflammatory responses and worsens existing skin concerns. Apart from the common effects of puffy eyes, dark circles, and dull skin, poor sleep also robs your skin of the chance to repair daily damage.

The skincare you apply before bed works while you’re sleeping. Between 10 pm and 2 am, skin regeneration peaks, increasing cell renewal and allowing your skin to recover moisture loss. Poor sleep keeps all of these processes and more from happening, resulting in an overall tired appearance and skin aging. 

Continue reading as our aesthetic clinic in Singapore shares 5 habits that sabotage your beauty and what you can do to fix them. 

1. You’re consistently staying up late or pulling an all-nighter.

What’s keeping you from sleeping early? Is it because of a new show you’re binging, your late afternoon caffeine, or doom scrolling in bed? Over time, doing this consistently can lead to poor skin health and rapid aging. Sleeping late and waking up early can also lead to low energy, poor concentration, puffiness, and dark circles.

If you want to stop staying up so late, there are things you can do to shift your bedtime schedule. Seeing a doctor helps, as well as tweaking some of your habits. 

• Adjust your bedtime gradually. Make adjustments in 15-minute increments over a couple of days.
• Avoid caffeine late in the day or leave about six hours before your last coffee and your supposed bedtime.
• Try to avoid or cut down on screen time before bed. 
• Get regular exercise, but avoid vigorous workouts close to or less than an hour before your bedtime. 
• Get natural light in the morning.
• Avoid late naps or keep them under 30 minutes. 

2. You don’t change your pillowcases.

Your pillowcases may look clean and smell fine, but they can harbor bacteria and even be dirtier than the average toilet seat, according to this study. The latter is true for bedding that you don’t frequently wash. Do take note that sweat, saliva, oils, bacteria, and product residue collect on your pillowcases and even be transferred to your skin. 

Don’t let your skin always be in contact with what’s on your pillowcase. Flip them every midweek or wash/change them every week. And if you have oily or acne-prone skin, change them more often or every two to three days to prevent breakouts. Silk or satin pillowcases are also great options, as they are gentle on both skin and hair.

3. You sleep face down.

Sleeping face down or on your stomach causes your face to be smashed against the pillow. This can then create friction on the skin, which may cause unwanted lines and creases. Sleeping on your back helps prevent lines, as this doesn’t put any pressure on the face, and silk or satin pillowcases can minimize friction.

But what about sleeping on your side? This position alleviates acid reflux and reduces sleep apnea symptoms, but it does put pressure on one side of the face. Side sleeping is better than sleeping face down, but it is ideal to alternate which side you sleep on to avoid uneven lines or more creases on one side of the face.

4. You forget to wash your face at night. 

While a night of not washing your face isn’t likely to have serious side effects, it can still compromise your skin health. Keep in mind that dirt, oil, and grime can stay on your face overnight and sink into your skin as you sleep. Doing this more often can lead to breakouts, irritation, and premature skin aging.

This is why no matter how sleepy or exhausted you are, always make sure to cleanse your face. If you don’t have time for a multi-step skincare routine, use a micellar water or rebalancing toner to remove any accumulated impurities. Don’t make it a habit though; commit to a skincare regimen to take better care of your skin and avoid exacerbating existing skin issues. 

5. You skip using moisturizer. 

There is less oil production at night and the skin experiences great moisture loss (transepidermal water loss). This only makes it important to always moisturize at night or use hydrating products. Bear in mind that you don’t need to slather on heavy creams; use a formula that is right for your skin type. 

Apply a quality face moisturizer as the last step in your skincare routine. This seals in everything and helps prevent water loss. You can also use a humidifier to reduce side effects brought on by dry air. It can improve your sleep quality and skin health, as well as provide relief from respiratory issues. 

How Cutis can help

If the effects of poor sleep have been lingering on your skin, we recommend getting your sleeping habits back on track and supplementing your effort with skin rejuvenation treatments. We offer facials, chemical peels, and other light-based solutions that can breathe new life into your skin. 

Some of the treatments that can help include:

• Chemical peels – gently resurface the skin to improve overall tone and clarity, as well as reduce the look of lines, wrinkles, and scarring.
• Hydra-Clarifying facial – cleanses, exfoliates, and infuses your skin with beneficial serums. It can help you achieve a more vibrant and younger-looking skin. 
• Laser Skin Rejuvenation – restores the health, clarity, and youthfulness of your skin. It gently heats the upper dermis, which triggers the body’s healing response and boosts collagen. 
• Photo Facial – uses intense pulsed light (IPL) to safely and effectively improve skin tone and texture. It targets skin imperfections caused by photodamage, as well as facial redness caused by skin trauma and rosacea.
• DiamondTome Microdermabrasion – gently exfoliates the skin to unveil a younger-looking and more supple complexion. It helps promote the growth of healthy new skin and stimulates collagen production.

Let Cutis be your partner in supplementing your good nighttime habits. WhatsApp us at +65 9780 2079 to learn more or book a consultation with one of our aesthetic doctors in Singapore.