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Exploring the Effects of Quality Sleep on Your Skin

Exploring the Effects of Quality Sleep on Your Skin
Not one part of your body is left unaffected when you experience poor sleep quality. Both the quantity and quality of your sleep are vital to our overall health and appearance. A good night of sleep can rejuvenate the skin and minimize signs of aging. Let's take a closer look at the effects of sleep on your skin.
01

What does lack of sleep do to skin?

Good sleep plays a key role in protecting and repairing your body’s vital structures, including your skin barrier function. When you fail to get the recommended amount of beauty sleep your body needs, these repairs get left unfinished, resulting in premature aging and other health consequences. 1 Your skin is one of the first indicators of aging in your body and, therefore, is heavily impacted by sleep deprivation.
02

Effects of sleep deprivation on your skin

Although the effects of sleep deprivation are wide and far-reaching across the body, in the skin, there are three primary repercussions.

Accelerated aging

As your body’s main line of defense, the skin suffers constant damage internally and externally. Free radicals of the primary mechanisms of aging within your body. Without sleep, metabolic inefficiencies increase, leading to increased levels of free radicals .2 These free radicals wreak havoc on the skin, damaging vital proteins (i.e. Collagen and elastin) essential for skin elasticity.

The combination of internal threats like free radicals and external threats like sun damage cause collagen within the skin to break down. Collagen gives the skin its strength to protect against external sources of damage. Without adequate sleep, your body struggles to repair damaged collagen.3 This manifests in the form of fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin.

Skin Inflammation

Sleep-deprived individuals will experience heightened levels of stress hormones (l.e. cortisol) within the body. Stress hormones are known to trigger the release of inflammatory agents. This has a stream of impacts, including the following:

  1. Puffiness: Inflammation
    causes cells in and around the skin to swell with fluid. This protective measure results in puffy eyes and an irritated skin appearance. 4 To learn more about
    why lack of sleep causes dark circles, explore our comprehensive guide.
  2. Acne-prone skin: The bacterial forms of acne are associated with skin inflammation that can be worsened by lack of sleep.
  3. Skin disease:
    Inflammation is correlated to many skin diseases like Psoriasis and Eczema that affect the health of the skin.4,5 Although not necessarily the main culprit, these skin problems can be worsened by sleep deprivation.

Skin texture

Because lack of sleep increases skin inflammation, it can exacerbate dull skin, acne, dark spots, eczema, and scarring. In addition, sleep deprivation reduces collagen levels in the skin, weakening your skin barrier.6 This leads to a dehydrated, rough skin texture and increased pore size. (Read more about optimizing skin texture here to learn more about how to smooth skin texture here)

How to restore sleep debt

Having a perfect sleep schedule is admirable, but we all have the occasional unavoidably late night. Consistently accumulating a β€œsleep debt” can have long-term consequences for your skin and overall health. Taking on sleep debt is natural yet can easily be avoided by listening to your body and making up for the lost hours.

03

Nighttime skin care routines

A proper nighttime skincare routine complements the benefits of quality sleep. Consider the following tips:
  1. Gentle Cleansing: Cleansing your face removes makeup, dirt, and pollutants. Choose a gentle cleanser that won't strip your skin of its natural oils. Consider OneSkins PREP, a gentle daily facial cleanser that thoroughly removes impurities, light makeup, and sunscreen without disrupting the skin’s natural balance.
  2. Moisturize: Appling a hydrating moisturizer nourishes and locks in moisture. This keeps your skin healthy and radiant throughout the night and into the next day. This is especially important for dry skin types.
  3. Use Serums and Treatments: Consider incorporating serums containing safe ingredients that can combat the aging effects of skin. In lab studies, OneSkin’s OS-01 proprietary peptide has been shown to stimulate collagen production pathways and target cellular damage in the skin. (8) OS-01 FACE, OS-01 EYE, and OS-01 BODY, provide safe and effective ways to turn back the clock in your skin. Read more about integrating OneSkin’s Topical Supplements into your skin routine here!

Tips for better sleep

Enhancing the quality of your sleep can significantly improve your overall skin health. Consider the following steps:
  1. Prioritize a Consistent Sleep Schedule:
    Establishing a regular sleep routine helps regulate your body's internal clock.9
  2. Naps: Short power naps (20-30 minutes) can be useful for alleviating immediate sleep debt. Avoid napping too close to bedtime to prevent interference with your circadian rhythm.
  3. Create a Relaxing Sleep Environment: Ensure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool, and invest in a comfortable mattress and pillows.
  4. Avoid Blue Light Close to Bedtime:
    Looking at blue light inhibits melatonin release and keeps you awake. This affects both the quantity and quality of your sleep.10
Key Takeaways:
  • Both the quantity and quality of sleep are crucial for overall health and appearance. A good night's sleep can rejuvenate the skin and minimize signs of aging.
  • Sleep deprivation accelerates aging, damaging vital proteins like collagen and elastin by releasing free radicals.
  • Lack of sleep heightens stress hormones, triggering inflammatory agents that cause puffiness and acne-prone skin and may worsen skin diseases like Psoriasis and Eczema.
  • Consistently accumulating sleep debt can have long-term consequences for skin and overall health. Make up for these lost hours by listening to your body.
  • Prioritizing a consistent sleep schedule, incorporating short power naps, creating a relaxing sleep environment, and avoiding blue light close to bedtime can significantly improve overall skin health by enhancing sleep quality.

Last Updated April 22, 2025

Reviewed by

Alessandra Zonari

Alessandra Zonari

PhD, Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) and Co-Founder of OneSkin

Alessandra earned her Master’s degree in stem cell biology, and her PhD in skin regeneration and tissue engineering at the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil in collaboration with the 3B’s Research Group in Portugal. Alessandra did a second post-doctoral at the University of Coimbra in Portugal. She is a co-inventor of three patents and has published 20 peer-reviewed papers in scientific journals.