You might assume you’re immune to forming new wrinkles while you sleep. After all, sleep has restorative properties that help improve your skin’s healthy glow. Plus, when you’re at rest, you’re less likely to make any of the repetitive facial motions that eventually etch wrinkles into your face.

However, the unfortunate fact remains that sleeping can contribute to your overall aging process. As unfair as that might seem, you aren’t completely powerless to stop it. Here are our top six tips for preventing wrinkles and making the phrase “beauty sleep” a reality.

1. Sleep on Your Back

As you age, your body produces less collagen and elastin, two proteins that contribute to taut, resilient, healthy skin. The depletion of these two building blocks of skin is one of the primary factors that leads to wrinkle formation. If you find it more comfortable to drift off to dreamland while lying on your stomach or side, the mere act of smooshing your face up against your pillow overnight can cause you to wake to newborn wrinkles by the time your alarm goes off in the morning.

The most straightforward solution to this problem is to train yourself to be a supine sleeper. If falling asleep on your back doesn’t come naturally to you, you can surround yourself with pillows to prevent yourself from rolling over during the night. Alternatively, you can try sleeping with a travel neck pillow – the kind you can buy on a layover at the airport.

2. Change Your Pillowcase

While your sleeping position plays a major role in the formation of overnight wrinkles, the material you sleep on can make a significant difference, as well. Consider switching your regular cotton pillowcases for silk ones. This everyday luxury is worth it because it’s smoother than even the highest-thread-count cotton, which means your face will slide on it, instead of getting crushed up against it.

Silk also has more tightly woven fibers than cotton, allowing you to retain more moisture overnight. If you’re sold on silk, there are many different levels of quality, just like with cotton. For best results, invest in 100 percent silk.

3. Keep Skin Hydrated Overnight

During the day, you likely favor a lightweight moisturizer, preferably one with sunscreen. However, at night, it’s a whole different ball game. Your overnight moisturizer should be heavier and offer intense moisturizing for all-night hydration. For best results, choose a product with hyaluronic acid, a molecule that helps your skin attract and retain moisture. Apply it to both your neck and face using smooth, upward strokes, but be careful not to use too much pressure.

4. Look for Retinol-Containing Products

Retinol, a vitamin A derivative, is a major collagen booster. If you’re looking for a nearly effortless way to minimize fine lines such as crow’s feet and the parentheses lines that bracket your mouth, look for either over-the-counter options or consult your dermatologist for a stronger, prescription version.

5. There’s More Than One Way to Moisturize

Aside from the moisturizer you apply before heading off to golden slumbers, is there anything else you can do? The answer may lie in the same solution you rely on when you’re sick: the humble humidifier. Overly dry air leaches the moisture from your bedroom and your skin alike. This overnight hydration is a boost for anyone, especially those who already tend toward dry skin. The moisture boost will leave you waking up with glowing skin.

6. Get a Full Night’s Rest

Good sleep hygiene is an essential part of your overall health and well-being. Get a full seven to eight hours of sleep per night and wake up refreshed for a naturally healthy appearance. If you find yourself tossing and turning all night, try banishing devices such as phones and tablets from your bedroom. These gadgets emit blue light that can disrupt your healthy sleeping patterns.

Get the Advanced Anti-Aging Answers You Need

If you’re looking for state-of-the-art, non-surgical ways to look and feel your best, contact us at M Spa Face and Body. We’re here to serve the greater Houston area with state-of-the-art solutions to some of the most common complaints.

Whether you are looking to minimize wrinkles around your eyes and eyebrows or diminish a double chin, our professional-grade treatments and cosmetic solutions are here for you. Our practitioners have committed to the goal of being a premier medical spa and aesthetic practice, and we can advise you on how to maximize and maintain your results – even overnight.