Here’s Why Sleeping On Your Back Has Some Serious Beauty Benefits

5 Beauty Benefits of Sleeping on Your Back

1. It Can Help Prevent Breakouts

Unless you’re someone who changes their pillowcase every single night, stomach sleeping or side sleeping could be the reason you’re waking up with breakouts, blackheads, and clogged pores. “Sleeping with your face on your pillow can expose your face to bacteria from dirty pillowcases, irritation from friction between your skin and your pillowcase, a reaction to ingredients in your detergent, and it can potentially dry your skin out (depending on the type of fabric your bed sheets and pillowcases are made from). Long story short, it's not the optimal sleeping position for healthy skin,” says Ajayi. If you’re looking for a pillowcase that’ll cut down on the friction, look for a silk pillowcase or satin pillowcase. We’ve gotten some seriously deep beauty sleep with our super soft ZOE AYLA Satin Pillowcase.

2. It Can Prevent Face Asymmetry

Ever wake up feeling like one side of your face is looking a little less snatched than the other, even if you got your full eight hours of sleep? It could just be that you’re favoring one side of your face to snooze on over the other. “By sleeping on our sides, our faces are pressed against our pillows for hours at a time. This consistent pressure on one side of our faces can mess with facial symmetry over time,” Ajayi tells us. To top it off, favoring one side of your face over the other to sleep on can encourage fluid to collect on that side (all thanks to gravity), the reason you’re waking up puffy too. It’s also the best position for increased blood flow and circulation, which can help reduce swollen, puffy eyes and dark circles. The best way to wake up less puffy? “The fluid retention some people experience when they wake up can be reduced by sleeping on your back with your head slightly elevated rather than in a neutral position or supine sleeping. This position allows gravity to do its thing and helps the fluid to drain,” Ajayi tells us.

3. Back Sleeping Has Anti-Aging Benefits

Besides minimizing puffiness and asymmetry, back sleepers can benefit from less fine lines and wrinkles over time. Think of your skin like an envelope or a piece of paper that’s folded over and over in the same spot. With repeated creasing and folding, lines can get deeper and deeper. Sleeping on your back can also mean fewer neck wrinkles, since you’re not bending, folding, and stretching your skin (which can be a lot more delicate in that area), over and over again. “Sleeping on your back helps keep your muscles relaxed. The lack of pressure on the face helps maintain elasticity and minimizes the formations of wrinkles,” Ajayi says.

4. Your Bedtime Skincare Products Will Stay in Place

We know that you know how important it is to follow a good bedtime skincare routine for the overall health of your skin (even if you’re rolling in after a long night out). But snoozing on your side right after you slather on your nighttime moisturizer might just mean you’re wasting product. “While ideally you want to wait for your facial products to be fully absorbed before going to bed, sleeping on your back ensures that your skincare isn't being rubbed off on your pillow. The less contact your face has with your pillowcase, your mattress, or any other object, the better,” according to Ajayi. When your skin makes contact with your pillowcase as you sleep or toss and turn, it's going to leave traces of your serums and moisturizers along with buildup and bacteria (which can also lead to breakouts).

5. It Can Reduce Back and Neck Pain

If you tend to toss and turn and wake up with lower back pain or pain in your neck, sleeping on your back can help. How? Sleeping straight rather curled up on your side takes stress off of your spine and surrounding muscles by distributing your body weight more evenly. You’ll sleep comfier, which means you’ll get a good night’s sleep. Better sleep quality means healthier, more youthful looking skin.

Here’s How to Fall Asleep (and Stay Asleep!) on Your Back

1. Reach for an Extra Pillow

Need some help getting used to sleeping on your back? It’s all about a little extra support. Taking two pillows and placing them on both sides of your head helps by keeping you from moving in your sleep. Think of them as an anchor or a soft barrier,” says Ajayi.

2. Support Your Knees

If you’re a side sleeper, you may be used to sleeping with your knees slightly bent or curled up for comfort. Next time you go to bed, add a pillow underneath your knees to help keep them in a slightly bed position and help curve your lower back slightly. Trust us, you’ll feel like you're floating on a cloud.

3. Make Sure Your Neck Is Supported

If your pillow is too flat or elevated, you may have an uncomfy time breathing while you sleep. Make sure your pillow keeps your neck and head in a slightly elevated position, to help keep your airway open and prevent any sinus buildup or congestion.

Want more beauty tips to help you wake up glowing? Take our Beauty Quiz now to get started with your own IPSY beauty subscription. Already an IPSY member? Refer your friends to earn points, which you can use toward products. Either way, don’t forget to check us out on Instagram and TikTok @IPSY.

Like this article? Share it with your friends by clicking the icons below!