Does Acne Heal When You Sleep? [Facts & Truths]

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Getting acne is the worst feeling ever! That is what we always hear from people around us! And, we don’t blame them, though! 

In a world where people hold beauty standards really high, it’s normal to wish for better skin! 

That is why people have become much more conscious. Since acne is a common problem, everyone is trying different methods to solve them quicker.

Hence, apart from consuming a healthy diet and working out, people have started putting emphasis on a healthier lifestyle. That said, does acne heal when you sleep?

Yes! Acne heals up when you sleep. The body eliminates fatigue and reduces stress when it sleeps. Plus, it doesn’t create a hormonal imbalance. Here, the body releases a continuous blood flow which repairs all the skin cells. Thus, acne heals up significantly.

Besides getting a good night’s sleep, you need to add something more to your lifestyle. And, we’ve discussed that elaborately in our guide. 

Let’s start, then-

Will Acne Heal When You’re Sleeping?

Yes! Acne does heal significantly when you give your body enough rest that it requires. 

To understand that, first you need to understand what sleep does to the body. Basically, when you’re sleeping, your body starts to heal all the muscles and tissues. This matters for your face and acne as well. 

So, when the body is resting, it will heal your acne and prevent future breakouts. If you do the exact opposite of what we’ve told you and get enough sleep then your body won’t get proper rest. 

And, when your body doesn’t rest properly, it kick-starts the cortisol surge. 

What is a cortisol surge, you may ask? 

Well, it’s a hormone that influences the fight/flight response. Plus, it’s present in stress as well. 

If you didn’t know, stress and hormonal imbalances promote acne. That is why letting an increase in the cortisol level could be really bad! 

Besides this, when you have a higher cortisol level, it will influence the sebaceous gland in producing more oil. And, as more oil gets inside the skin, the pores start to get clogged. Then, bacteria and dust play their part and cause acne on the skin.

To summarize, you need a proper amount of sleep to heal acne. Otherwise, your body won’t rest and acne breakouts will happen more frequently.

How Much Sleep Do You Need for Healing Acne?

Now that you know acne heals when you have a proper sleep, you might question how much sleep is needed. That’s a fair enough concern because the idea of proper sleep is missed by many! 

According to the different experts, it’s better to have 7-9 hours of quality sleep every night. Less than this range and you’ll start to have problems in your skin and with your entire body! 

It’s crucial that you give your body enough rest it requires. Only then will your body start to function and perform really well. 

Benefits of Proper Sleep in Preventing Acne 

We have talked about how sleeping heals acne! Also, we’ve shown you the exact time range you need to follow to heal your body and acne. 

Now, let’s show you how proper sleep will prevent acne. 

Honestly speaking, getting proper sleep influences the body to eliminate any sort of fatigue. And, with fatigue elimination, the levels of stress are reduced as well. 

Besides this, proper sleeping allows a better flow of blood inside the skin which causes a faster repair. 

Another factor that sleep maintains is the defence mechanism of the body. As the immune system allows the skin to fight against bacteria, you’ll have less chance of getting acne. 

Face it, the skin will always go through a lot of germs, bacteria, and dirt. If your body has a strong defence mechanism, you won’t get much acne. 

How Does Sleeping Cause Acne?

When you sleep, your body heals acne. That’s what we’ve told you right? 

Now, what if we tell you sleeping causes acne? What would be your reaction?

Yes! Sleeping can cause acne. This could be a shocker to many individuals. But, hear me out-

Most of the time sleeping is causing acne because you are not sleeping in the right position! 

When you’re sleeping on your stomach, you’re causing your face to be rubbed against a pillowcase. Honestly, pillowcases contain a mountain of dust and bacteria. 

And, if you don’t clean them, well, you’re going to be in a mess, soon!

We don’t have any sort of animosity against pillowcases, let us be really clear about that! Apart from dirt and bacteria, even skin products you’ve used recently would be on those pillowcases. 

And, when you add dead skin cells and hair to these pillowcases along with household dust, there’s a lot happening. 

Now imagine this! 

You’re sleeping on your stomach after a tiring day. And all of the things we mentioned are being rubbed to your face. Easily everything will get into the skin pores and clog them out. 

That is how “sleeping” causes acne on the skin! But, wait! Should you not use a pillowcase anymore? 

No! We’re not telling you to dump off your pillowcases. But, we advise you to clean them 1-2 times a week. It’ll be more convenient if you rotate pillowcases and then clean them because that will allow you more time.

Because by cleaning and maintaining these, you will be able to save your skin. And, you could avoid all of these by sleeping on your back. But honestly, it’s better to just maintain and clean your surroundings. 

Problems of Oversleeping in Skin & Acne Healing 

We’ve shown you the sleep range in some of the earlier segments, right? And, we’ve even shown you how sleeping fewer causes acne by creating a hormonal imbalance. 

But, what happens when you’re doing too much? And, how does that affect the skin? 

Yes! Oversleeping does put an impact on the skin and can cause problems. And yes, it could even stop the proper healing of acne! But, the most damage oversleeping does is to human health!

First off, you won’t get proper sleep when you’re sleeping for too long. As a result of that, you’ll develop diabetes and risk heart disease. 

Alongside that, oversleeping can create hormonal imbalances. Basically, when we sleep too much, we can disrupt the biological clock. This clock is maintained with the help of certain key hormones. 

If you’re causing a sudden interruption and sleeping too much, that won’t be good for the skin.

Because, when you’re sleeping too much, you’re even becoming more dehydrated! 

Face it- you’re going more than 9 hours without consuming any water or any liquids. So, it could contribute to dehydrated skin really easily! 

Our skin doesn’t react that well to dehydration. This will create a problem when your body is trying to heal the acne. Proper hydration is key for the body to make repairs! 

Besides, when the body lacks water, the skin tone could become uneven and lines could become noticeable. So, oversleeping isn’t that good for acne healing.

Will Oversleeping Cause Acne?

Yes! Oversleeping can cause acne. But, not directly! Here, oversleeping can only cause acne because of the dirty bed sheets and pillowcases. 

Our skin itself produces a lot of oil at night, that’s why you wake up every day with oily skin! But, when this oil from the skin mixes up with the dirty bed sheets, pores get clogged and breakouts follow!

Some Tips to Heal Acne Faster Beside Sleeping

We get it, you have a vacation or holiday up ahead and you want to take things to the next level. Vacation or not, no one wants acne with them for long! 

Honestly, getting proper sleep while maintaining hygiene itself will heal acne a lot faster. 

But, if you’re trying to add a thing or two more to the list, we will help you out. So, here are the tips to heal acne faster-

1. Ice Application on the Spot

On top of sleeping, you can try to use ice on the spots to heal it up! But, remember, you should never add ice directly to the skin. Because this can create rashes. 

Instead, take the ice inside a cloth. Then, start pressing it gently on the area of inflammation. You need to press the thing for around 4 minutes. This process will decrease the swelling of the area. 

So, you can try it a couple of times a day. 

2. Face Mask Application

You will see a hundred face masks on the internet claiming to “solve” acne easily. Well, instead of considering every option out there, you can settle for a benzoyl peroxide & salicylic acid mask. 

These materials help at unclogging the pores and even reduce skin inflammation. Here, if you have sensitive skin then you can choose a sulphur mask! They work fine as well. 

It’s better to look at the ingredients before buying the face mask. This way, you can choose a face mask that goes well with your skin. 

3. Crushed Aspirin Application

You can crush 1-2 tablets of aspirin and then mix it up with some water droplets for healing acne. Aspirin has salicylic acid that will remove dead skins and oil. 

After you create the paste by mixing aspirin with water, apply it to the face. Then, keep the mixture on the face for around 15 minutes. Lastly, wash it off using warm water. This heals up acne and even reduces the redness and swelling. 

FAQs

Question: Will sleeping earlier help with healing acne?

Answer: Yes! Sleeping early fastens up the healing of acne. When you’re sleeping early, stress levels and fatigue are reduced. Plus, blood flow is ensured which repairs the skin. This is why the acne heals up a lot faster than usual when you get a good sleep.

Question: Will sleeping on acne create further breakouts?

Answer: Yes. Sleeping on acne can create a different type of breakout which is known as acne mechanica. This is the type of breakout caused by rubbing and pressure. Also, when you are sleeping on acne, the gunk from the acne can enter other pores and clog them. 

Question: Will sleeping enough alone fix all my acne problems?

Answer: Yes! Getting proper sleep will fix almost all types of acne problems. But, if you have severe acne, you might need further treatment and sleeping just won’t work alone. Besides sleeping, you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle as well to ensure faster healing of acne.

Question: What is the best sleeping acne position? 

Answer: When you have acne, the best position for sleeping is on the back. If you are sleeping on the front, you can get more acne through rubbing and pressure. Other than that, if you are sleeping on the side, you can pass the gunk of acne to other skin pores. 

Conclusion

Proper sleep is key for good health and good skin! So, the next time your friend asks this question- does acne heal when you sleep? You can confidently tell them getting a night of proper sleep will heal the acne. 

Also, advise them to maintain a routine and not sleep too much! Because that itself can create a bit of mess. 

Add to that, also advise them to drink tons of water and keep their bedsheets clean. This way, they’ll prevent breakouts from sleeping. 

Good Luck!