If you’re over 40, this sleeping position will age you: expert opinion

Have you ever thought about how sleep affects your appearance in the morning? Of course, if you suffer from insomnia or have only been in bed for four hours because of a friend’s birthday, you will look tired. But we are talking about something else now – certain sleeping positions can harm your beauty and youthfulness. How? Here’s what the experts say!

Wrinkles often appear on our face due to frequent laughter, smiles, the way of wrinkling the forehead and other facial expressions, however, wrinkles appearing in a dream are quite another matter. As Beth Goldstein, MD explains, they are essentially the result of repetitive stretching and twisting of the skin that occurs as your head moves on the pillow.

In 2021, a study was conducted that confirms what Beth said: it has been proven that furrows can indeed appear on the face due to “mechanical contraction during sleep”, and here are some postures that contribute to it.

Sleeping in this position after the age of 40 puts unnecessary stress on the skin, as it no longer recovers as effectively as it does at the age of 20. “When you’re young and there’s enough collagen in your skin, wrinkles that appear after sleep have time to disappear. However, after 40-50 years, constant exposure to the face leads to the fact that the folds remain forever, ”explains Goldstein.

As dermatologist Dean Mraz Robinson, MD explains, sleeping on your side doesn’t in itself cause wrinkles, but can deepen existing ones on your chest, neck, and face. This position has another dangerous effect: it can lead to the fact that the half of the face on which you sleep becomes less voluminous.

Wrinkles that appear during sleep are dangerous because it is difficult to eliminate them. “Botox, for example, won’t help get rid of them or prevent them from happening,” says Timothy Miller, MD, MD. To change the situation, according to him, this will only be possible with the help of laser resurfacing, fillers or even a facelift.

As you probably already guessed, from the point of view of beauty, it is better to sleep on your back – this way your face will not come into contact with the pillow. In addition, the spine will be in the correct position, and the load on the shoulders, neck and internal organs will be evenly distributed.

However, this position also has contraindications: as Goldstein explains, it can aggravate reflux, sleep apnea and snoring. Beth also thinks you shouldn’t sleep on your back if it makes you uncomfortable – quality, long, deep sleep is much more important to the body than a smooth face.

See also: The only fruit that causes wrinkles – watch out!