Three Ways Your Sleep Routine Can Negatively Impact Your AppearanceThree Ways Your Sleep Routine Can Negatively Impact Your Appearance

Whilst sleepmaxxing and multi-step skincare routines leading to ‘the morning shed’ have been recently popularised online, the concept of beauty sleep isn’t new. Sleep routines play an important role in helping us look and feel good, but common elements of these routines can negatively affect our appearance and health.

Medical expert Dr Seeta Shah and orthopaedic expert Bethany Lawrence, from bamboo bedding brand Panda London, reveal three mistakes many are making when it comes to getting their beauty sleep and how to combat them.

Wearing Heatless Curlers
Waking up with effortless bouncy curls might sound like a good hair day, but there is a hidden danger to using heatless curlers overnight many overlook. As curlers add extra height to your pillows, wearing them can lead to spinal misalignment and poor posture, giving a hunched-over appearance.

Bethany says, “The alignment of our spine is not only important when standing and sitting, but also when lying down in bed at night. Pillows should support your neck without lifting your head too high to help maintain spinal alignment.

If you’re using heatless curlers while you sleep, you may need to adjust your current pillow set-up to avoid straining your neck. If you usually sleep with two pillows, try reducing this to one, or experiment with different levels of pillow firmness to find the one which is comfortable and allows you to lay down with your spine in the correct position.”

A young man looking at his phone at nightA young man looking at his phone at night

Too Much Screentime Before Bed
Whilst most of us now understand that blue light from our phone screens can reduce our quality of sleep, many are unaware of the effects it can also have on our skin. Studies have shown that blue light exposure can speed up the ageing process and lead to hyperpigmentation.[1]

Dr Seeta explains, “If you are serious about your skincare, it’s good practice to avoid blue light exposure before bed. Research suggests that blue light can damage the skin directly, leading to increased signs of ageing and hyperpigmentation, but as it also affects sleep quality, it can leave skin looking tired and dull from lack of restorative sleep.

To perfect a skin-loving sleep routine, try to avoid screentime before bed or use a blue light filter and switch to bedding with antibacterial properties. Both silk and bamboo bedding are naturally antibacterial, which can help to reduce breakouts and skin damaging irritation.”

Choosing a Sugary Drink Before Bed
Even though drinking cherry juice near bedtime or having a hot chocolate before bed is part of many evening routines, its high sugar content can contribute to skin issues, tooth decay and sleep disruption.

Dr Seeta says, “Food and drink containing high levels of sugar should be avoided around bedtime. Too much sugar can lead to overstimulation and make it harder to fall into a deep restorative sleep, as well as create blood sugar spikes, which can heighten inflammation and oil production—two contributors to developing acne. It’s not just the skin that suffers from sugar’s undesirable effects either; people who regularly consume sugar at night have a higher risk of developing dental problems such as tooth decay and loss.

If you still want to enjoy a bedtime drink as part of your sleep routine, choose low-sugar alternatives and be sure to brush your teeth thoroughly afterwards to reduce dental issues and keep a pearly white smile.”

[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36594795/