Pillow Talk
Sleep,  wrinkles

Sleep Wrinkles

The position in which you sleep and the material your pillowcase is made of might play a role in wrinkle formation or what are called sleep lines.

When you lie on your side or stomach, your face gets smooshed into the pillow.  If this happens over and over, permanent lines may form.    The best option is to sleep on your back.  This position may not be comfortable for some people and we move around a lot when we sleep, so we are likely to end up on our side at some point.  You could try placing pillows behind your back to make it more difficult to roll over.  I did try this, and it sort of worked.  I move a lot so the pillows were on the floor by morning and I was on my side.

Sleep Pillows:

Another option is to purchase a sleep pillow.    I bought the Nurse Jamie Beauty Bear Age Delay Pillow.  This pillow encouraged more back sleeping.  I also no longer experienced neck pain or headaches after I started using it.  And because I still end up on my side at times, it has a U-shape to it so your forehead and chin are propped up but your cheek is free.  The Beauty Bear pillow is also available in memory foam.  I’ve had both fill types, and I personally like the memory foam one quite a bit more.

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There are other sleep pillows on the market so I decided to try out a different brand. I found the Envy Pillow.  This one comes from a couple of Canadian nurses and is made out of memory foam (you may have noticed a nurse trend here and that’s because I love nurses, plus I am one).

This pillow also encourages back-sleeping but if you end up on your side it has a gull wing shape so your cheek is elevated.  It is bigger than the Nurse Jamie pillow (about the size of a standard pillow) but it has a great design and really helps with proper neck alignment and support.  They also offer a travel size and a kid’s pillow.

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Pillow Cases:

The pillow is important but so is the pillow case.  Most pillow cases are made out of cotton.   Cotton is great, and I love cotton, but not for my pillowcase.  Cotton bunches up and pulls against your delicate facial skin each time you move.

The best material is silk or satin.  These materials allow your skin to slide on the pillow.   They are less absorbent than cotton so those expensive skin care products you applied before bed stay on your skin instead of transferring to your pillow.

The smooth texture of silk and satin is also good for your hair.  For the same reason it doesn’t pull on your skin it doesn’t pull on your hair.  This means less breakage and healthier hair.  The Beauty Bear pillow comes with a satin pillow case.  The Envy pillow provides a choice of bamboo or silk.  I purchased the silk cover and I love it.  Envy also comes with a lovely travel bag.

If you don’t want to purchase a sleep pillow (because the prices can be a little high) you can switch out your cotton pillowcase for a silk or satin one.  I found this inexpensive Silk Pillowcase on amazon.  Soft Surroundings also has an inexpensive silk pillowcase and it comes in 3 different sizes and a nice range of colors.  Silk can still be on the pricey side so a satin one will work and I have found some inexpensive satin pillowcases at Target, TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, and Home Goods.

In any case, you should wash your pillows to keep them clean.  Tuck sleep has a great post on how to wash your pillows.

Lastly

Get a good night’s sleep, use a silk or satin pillowcase (and/or a sleep pillow), and always remember to wear sunscreen (during the day only, of course).  Your skin will thank you.

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The Envy Pillow without the pillowcase

For further reading:

journal of cosmetic laser therapy-the influence of the sleeping on the formation of facial wrinkles)

aesthetic surgery journal-sleep wrinkles: facial aging and facial distortion during sleep

National Sleep Foundation-sleep and wrinkles

Tuck –  The Science of Beauty Sleep

3 Comments

  • Gilbert Leroy

    It’s not my first time to visit this web site, i am visiting this site dailly and obtain good information from here everyday.

  • Justin

    Hey there 🙂

    Your wordpress site is very sleek – hope you don’t mind
    me asking what theme you’re using? (and don’t mind if I steal it?

    :P)

    I just launched my site –also built in wordpress like
    yours– but the theme slows (!) the site down quite a bit.

    Keep up the good work– and hope you all take care of yourself during the coronavirus scare!

    • Natalie

      Thanks Justin. We always like to hear positive responses.

      The theme used for this site is “Ashe Pro”.

      Gave a good one! And make sure to keep taking care of your skin!

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