Walk into any drugstore and you'll see an array of creams, masks, and exfoliants that cater to every skin issue. Whether you want to reduce wrinkles, minimize pores, or brighten your complexion, there's probably a bottle of serum waiting for you to purchase.

But one of the most essential ingredients of an effective skincare regimen is free and doesn't come in a bottle at all: Sleep.

Want to unlock the glow you've been yearning for? The answer might be found in a good night's rest.

The secrets of beauty sleep

During waking hours, the skin is the body's frontline of defense, offering protection from UV radiation and pollutants, while also regulating temperature and preventing moisture loss. 

But when your head hits the pillow at night, your skin enters a state of deep repair and regeneration. Blood flow increases, delivering nutrients and oxygen to support repair processes. Growth hormones surge, stimulating cell turnover and collagen production.1

So, while you're dreaming, the skin can undo daily damage, replenish its defenses, and emerge revitalized by morning – no fancy serums required.

How circadian rhythms set the beat for beauty

The skin's nightly recovery process is orchestrated by the body's 24-hour circadian rhythms. These internal clocks respond to cues like light and darkness to keep you in sync with the natural tide of day and night. They help the skin regulate things like water loss, cell growth, blood flow, and temperature, which all vary throughout the day.1

The circadian rhythms also influence hormones like cortisol and melatonin, which dictate when you feel energized and when you're ready to hit the sack.2,3 An imbalance in cortisol levels, triggered by irregular or poor sleep, can result in stress, acne outbreaks, delayed wound healing, and inflammation that triggers skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.3,4

Melatonin – better known as the sleep hormone – also plays a special role in skin health by offering protection from UV damage, helping wounds heal, and even regulating skin color.1,2

The impact of disrupting the circadian rhythms

In an ideal world, the circadian rhythms of your body would follow their natural course; you'd sleep an easy 7-9 hours a night and wake up refreshed alongside the sun. Together, these rhythms of the body would create a symphony that ensures optimal repair and rejuvenation of the skin.

But modern life often has other plans – and that creates a problem for skin health.

Shift work

Nearly a quarter of the global workforce burns the midnight oil, from truck drivers hauling overnight loads to obstetricians called in the middle of the night to deliver babies. But research shows that the misalignment between internal body clocks and work schedules can cause poor sleep, chronic stress, and unhealthy habits, triggering inflammation and compromising immune responses.5

Consequently, shift workers face an elevated risk of autoimmune skin conditions, like psoriasis and vitiligo, as well as other skin-related symptoms associated with autoimmune diseases like lupus and systemic sclerosis (scleroderma).5

Sleep deprivation

Of all the unhealthy sleep habits, going to bed late is probably the most disregarded. But those late-night Netflix binges or hours spent scrolling through social media can unleash mayhem on your skin.

Research suggests that staying up late – even just past 11 p.m. – robs the skin of its nightly repair process. Regular late nights can impair the integrity of the skin barrier, damage skin structure, disrupt the water-oil balance, and even change the facial bacterial microbiota.6

And it doesn't have to be a regular habit to cause damage. Just one night of sleep deprivation can kick-start a cycle of imbalanced hormones that cause stress, itching, and aggravation of skin conditions like atopic dermatitis.7,8 And its effects are often visible the next day in the mirror: dry skin, changes in skin color, dark undereye circles, and a drooping mouth.7, 9

Disordered sleep

Sometimes getting to bed on time isn't always enough to maintain a healthy circadian rhythm. For people with sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea, a good night's rest is often interrupted. This can damage the skin's natural barrier and lead to inflammatory skin issues like swelling, redness, and dryness.10

The damage even works in reverse. Skin conditions like psoriasis, which often itch more at night, can trigger sleep disorders – which continue to worsen symptoms.11

Practical tips for getting true beauty sleep

Knowing the mark that poor sleep can leave on skin is only the first step in upgrading your skincare routine. It's essential to cultivate habits that promote true beauty sleep to give skin the care it deserves. Here's what experts recommend.

  • Stick to a routine. Try to go to bed at the same time each night, get 7-9 hours of sleep, and wake at the same time each morning – weekends included.
  • Create an optimal sleep environment. Nurture your circadian rhythms with a dark, quiet, cool bedroom. 
  • Quit scrolling before bed. The blue light of a phone or tablet can confuse your brain and suppress the release of melatonin, making it harder to fall asleep.
  • Reset your circadian rhythms if your schedule is off. Experts recommend that shift workers keep the lights bright during wakeful periods and dark when it's time to sleep.6 Melatonin supplements may help facilitate deeper sleep more efficiently, especially if the timing of your shift changes during the week.*2
  • Moisturize before bed. While you're sleeping, the skin's permeability, or porosity, increases. As a result, skincare products applied at night are more effectively absorbed into the skin.1
  • Schedule in stress relief. Nothing disrupts a night's sleep like worries or the residual tension of a hectic day. Plus, stress itself can wreak havoc on your skin. Do your body a favor and incorporate intentional periods of relaxation into your daily routine, like a 10-minute meditation or a warm bath before bed.
  • See a health-care professional. True sleep disorders like sleep apnea or insomnia can be damaging to your health if untreated. Call your health-care professional if you regularly wake up feeling unrefreshed.

Rest as a lifetime priority

It's simply not enough to barely meet sleep quotas. The deeper benefits of quality sleep include improved immune function, less inflammation, better emotional health – all of which play a pivotal role in skin health and appearance.

By prioritizing adequate rest and adopting holistic approaches to self-care, you can cultivate healthier skin and a heightened sense of well-being and vitality that radiate from within.

A word from Thorne

How is your sleep? You can gain insight into the circadian rhythms of your sleep hormone melatonin and your stress hormone cortisol with Thorne’s easy, at-home Sleep Test. In addition to levels of these two hormones tested four times during the day, you will receive diet, lifestyle, and supplement recommendations based on your test results. 

In addition to getting your zzz’s, you can promote skin elasticity, hydration, and strength with Thorne’s Collagen Plus.*

References

  1. Lyons AB, Moy L, Moy R, et al. Circadian rhythm and the skin: A review of the literature. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2019;12(9):42-45. 
  2. Bešlić I, Lugović-Mihić L, Vrtarić A, et al. Melatonin in dermatologic allergic diseases and other skin conditions: Current trends and reports. Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24(4):4039.
  3. Zhang H, Wang M, Zhao X, et al. Role of stress in skin diseases: A neuroendocrine-immune interaction view. Brain Behav Immun. 2024;116:286-302.
  4. Popa GL, Mitran CI, Mitran MI, et al. Markers of oxidative stress in patients with acne: A literature review. Life (Basel). 2023;13(7):1433.
  5. Stenger S, Grasshoff H, Hundt JE, et al. Potential effects of shift work on skin autoimmune diseases. Front Immunol. 2023;13:1000951.
  6. Shao L, Jiang S, Li Y, et al. Regular late bedtime significantly affects the skin physiological characteristics and skin bacterial microbiome. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2022;15:1051-1063.
  7. Jang SI, Lee M, Han J, et al. A study of skin characteristics with long-term sleep restriction in Korean women in their 40s. Skin Res Technol. 2020;26(2):193-199.
  8. Passeron T, Zouboulis CC, Tan J, et al. Adult skin acute stress responses to short-term environmental and internal aggression from exposome factors. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2021;35(10):1963-1975.
  9. Holding BC, Sundelin T, Cairns P, et al. The effect of sleep deprivation on objective and subjective measures of facial appearance. J Sleep Res. 2019;28(6):e12860.
  10. Romera-Vilchez M, Montero-Vilchez T, Herrero-Fernandez M, et al. Impact of exposome factors on epidermal barrier function in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(2):659.
  11. Nowowiejska J, Baran A, Flisiak I. Mutual relationship between sleep disorders, quality of life and psychosocial aspects in patients with psoriasis. Front Psychiatry. 2021;12:674460.