lack of sleep? bad for the skin?
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skin Care and Makeup Forum

Sun Jan 08, 2006 6:20 am

do lack of sleep, really contribute to acne? why do some people get to stay up late at night all the time, and still have perfect skin?!

free skin care · Sun Jan 08, 2006 10:33 am

If I don't get my 7/8 hours sleep a night my skin looks awful and yes I am more prone to outbreaks.

free skin care · Sun Jan 08, 2006 12:58 pm

If you're not getting enough sleep, your resistance to almost everything diminishes and thus your body can't fight things off as well.

There are people who have the good fortune of simply having good looking skin, (wish I was one of them). For the rest of us, we just have to find a skin care regime that works best for our own particular skin care issues.

If you use a glycolic product with a concentration of 8% to 15% with a retinol product of at least .5% concentration, you will see your outbreaks dimiish significantly. But be careful though... start slowly because both of these ingredients can be irritating to the skin. Let your skin get use to them gradually!

free skin care · Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:06 pm

Yes, Rosebud is right! For me it is 8-9 hours of sleep (too bad it is never happend Sad

). I usually don't get enough sleep during a week and it has a negative effect on my skin.
Most of people have to get 8 hours of sleep in order to be able to function and to do their activities without harming immune system.
Lara

Sun Jan 08, 2006 3:30 pm

honestly, i'm really scared to try peeling agents... does anyone have a great natural cleanser to recommend? i'm currently trying aubrey organic's natural herbal cleanser, has anyone tried that? also, lately, i've been getting only 5-6 hours of sleep. and i'm breaking out again. sometimes, i simply just have trouble falling asleep! maybe my body got used to sleeping late? your views people?

free skin care · Sun Jan 08, 2006 6:13 pm

I also have trouble falling asleep Sad

. I am night owl, so no matter how much hours I slept last night I will never be able to fall asleep before 1 or 2 a.m. I don't think that people can change their biorithm. I just have to get some sleep in the morning Wink

.
For cleanser I use Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel and Dermalogica Skin Prep Scrub. This scrub exfoliate with natural Corn Cob Meal.

free skin care · Sun Jan 08, 2006 6:29 pm

My SO is a Night Owl and because of his sleeping paterns I have become one too Rolling Eyes

Luckily I am able to live this way. If I do have an early start and need to get to sleep early then anti - histmanies always do the job, alternatively Valarian Root Capsules are also effective (I think Valarian may effect the contraceptive Pill).

free skin care · Mon Jan 09, 2006 4:39 am

Have you ever tried Melatonin? It's a natural remedy that you can find in the health section at most stores. It helps you sleep without that groggy feeling in the AM.

Mon Jan 09, 2006 5:00 am

nope, i haven't tried melatonin. is it good? anyway, i think lack of sleep is just one of the factors why im breaking out. i don't know. if i get to sleep well, that doesn't necessarily mean i won't breakout, does it? Confused

free skin care · Mon Jan 09, 2006 5:04 am

I heard that Melatonin is supposed to be good for combatting jetlag.

Unfortunately, I was never able to find it myself before embarking on any longhaul flights, but have recently spotted some tablets in one of my local health food shops so will try it next time.

Anyone actually given this a go already?

free skin care · Mon Jan 09, 2006 3:18 pm

I tried the melatonin thing and I did not notice that it made much difference. I still suffer terriblly from jet lag when heading east. I do think sitting in some really bright sunlight as soon as I get wherever I am headed and getting a good run or workout in seems to help get my clock reset more quickly.

free skin care · Mon Jan 09, 2006 8:57 pm

rosebud wrote:

If I do have an early start and need to get to sleep early then anti - histmanies always do the job, alternatively Valarian Root Capsules are also effective (I think Valarian may effect the contraceptive Pill).

Yes, Valerian Root Extract is very effective for some people, for others it could be the opposite effect- you will not be able to sleep. In my case, my heart goes faster when I take Valerian.
Don't worry, Valerian will not effect the contraceptive Pill.

free skin care · Mon Jan 09, 2006 9:03 pm

Another night owl here! I usually get to bed by 2 or maybe even 3 a.m. and I get about 6 hours sleep on the average. I'm at my best if I am lucky enough to get 8 hours. I'm wary of taking pills so when I am desperate enough I use a relaxation technique I learned as a psych student. This technique is actually a prelude to a hypnotic state. Never fails!

For those of you who want to try, here's how - Lie down on your back in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Turn your mind to your feet. Imagine your left foot muscles all flexed and tense, then release. Do the same for your right foot. Next, imagine your lower left leg and calf muscles are strained and tense, then release. Do the same for your right lower leg. Work your way up to the top of your head using same process. It is working if you can't "feel" the body parts you have gone over. By the time you get to your head (or shoulders and neck, as it has sometimes happened to me) you will be gently falling off to sleep. HTH

Mon Jan 09, 2006 10:10 pm

rosebud, what anti histamines do you use?

Mon Jan 09, 2006 10:14 pm

crazyskin wrote:

For those of you who want to try, here's how - Lie down on your back in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Turn your mind to your feet. Imagine your left foot muscles all flexed and tense, then release. Do the same for your right foot. Next, imagine your lower left leg and calf muscles are strained and tense, then release. Do the same for your right lower leg. Work your way up to the top of your head using same process. It is working if you can't "feel" the body parts you have gone over. By the time you get to your head (or shoulders and neck, as it has sometimes happened to me) you will be gently falling off to sleep. HTH

i've tried this too before. but sometimes i just get lazy... Laughing

but if it works for you, then good.

i think maybe the trouble in falling asleep is because we're used to sleeping at a certain hour everytime. and sleeping earlier than that would be futile. maybe we have to force ourselves to sleep a certain hour every night and stick to it. no changes! because our body adapts to our sleeping patterns to you know.

Mon Jan 09, 2006 10:39 pm

i can't answer your question from a scientific point of view, but i'll contribute by saying that i am a crap sleeper and very much a night owl - i go to sleep between 12midnight and 2am pretty much every night and wake up involuntarily at about 7 or 8 in the morning. my skin is totally crap, and i have thought in the past that it might have a little to do with my sleep patterns.

Tue Jan 10, 2006 2:26 am

you know ive read somewhere that our body goes into a cleansing mode at night. then usually at around 11-1 o'clock, it dumps toxins into our bowels. if you're still awake at that time, the toxins back up into the liver which can then back up into your entire system. this contributes to skin problems and a lot more related issues...

so i think lack of sleep really is bad for the skin overall. Exclamation

free skin care · Tue Jan 10, 2006 6:15 am

I agree with everyone else - I think you're skin definitely reflects a lack of sleep. Your body uses the time you're asleep to repair itself - including your skin. My skin always looks duller and I'm more likely to get the odd spot if I'm over tired.

Smile

free skin care · Tue Jan 10, 2006 6:24 am

betterat40 - That's a real shame. I have the opposite direction problem - when I go west, my bodyclock goes haywire!

crazyskin - We used to do that at the end of exercise classes. Unfortunately, it never seems to work very well for me - I think because I find it awfully difficult to relax. I'm a dreadful sleeper in any case and my mind stays active for hours and hours.

free skin care · Thu Jan 12, 2006 6:55 pm

Hi majorb

I have the same problem turning off my mind! I know people who fall asleep within 5 minutes of getting in bed, and I sure wish I was more like them.

free skin care · Fri Jan 13, 2006 7:54 am

The one good thing I can say, though, is that I get some of my best inspiration during the wee hours of the morning when I can't sleep.

One of the other threads has inspired me to maybe try a gentler form of Yoga, so that might help. I currently go to a class that does a rather vigorous form of Pilates - makes you feel great afterwards, but certainly NOT relaxed! Very Happy

Fri Jan 13, 2006 3:13 pm

lack of sleep is horrible for your skin. the old saying of needing your "beauty sleep" is true. my skin looks so much better and more vibrant when i have had enough sleep.

Fri Jan 13, 2006 4:27 pm

how many hours exactly is "enough" sleep anyway? Laughing

8 hours? 7 hours? recently, i sleep at around 11pm and wake up at 7am. that's just approximately 6 hours of sleep! maybe that's why my skin looks terrible... Laughing

Automatic Message

If this is your first visit to the EDS Forums please take the time to register. Registration is required for you to post on the forums. Registration will also give you the ability to track messages of interest, send private messages to other users, participate in Gift Certificates draws and enjoy automatic discounts for shopping at our online store. Registration is free and takes just a few seconds to complete.

Click Here to join our community.

If you are already a registered member on the forums, please login to gain full access to the site.