5 replies to this topic

[tom03808321]

Hi, 23yr old male here. Although I had some minor problems with acne in high school and college, I started breaking out with a higher degree of frequency and severity around a year ago - around when I started working full time.

More recently, I noticed a very high correlation with getting acne and not going to sleep by 10:30. I find this really strange since I am usually not even sleepy at that time - since I typically would go to sleep around 12:00 and wake up at 7:00. However, eventhough I don't understand it, the pattern is very obvious. A late night after going out will likely result in one or two small pimples the next day and after a few sequential days of breaking the 10:30 bedtime rule I'm usually faced with a much more severe breakout. Thus, I have been trying to go to bed religiously by 10:30, although this is often difficult due to various circumstances. I am also taking sleep aids to help me fall asleep that that time. This seems to help my acne greatly during periods where I can stick to the early bedtime.

Does anyone have an experience similar to mine or can otherwise add some insight into my problem and possible solutions?

[Voce]

Makes perfect sense to me. Too little sleep for more than 2 days has always caused me to break out. Anything that stresses the body can do it. Getting enough sleep so that one wakes up refreshed & not feeling the need for caffeine goes a long way towards clear skin. The exact amount will vary by individual, and also by age. Somwhere between 7 - 9 hours is what I've read. But really, in my teens, I needed about 10 hours of sleep!

[kel]

i do shifts and sometimes have very little sleep with patterns all over the place with nights ect,i havent noticed a change in skin.

[Vicereine]

I had read this book about weight loss and fitness that mentioned after a certain time at night our body's function changed, I don't think it was metabolism but it might've been (sorry I really can't remember much at all). Maybe this also has to do with what you have noticed, like if you don't rest by a certain time it messes with the body's internal clock.

[ξ®ٱ©]

I too noticed my acne is directly related to my sleep habits. My acne was at it's worst when I worked night shift. It is now gone, just very few redmarks which are near gone. My theory behind the matter is that not getting to sleep on time or sleeping throughout the day screws up your body's biologic clock. My acne is better when I am awake when the sun is up, and asleep when the sun is down. This is very hard to do in the winter months since there is so much less sunlight. However when I am awake at night, and have bright lights on, computer monitor, tv, etc on I notice my skin doesn't feel as good as it would if I was in the dark sleeping. I don't think your body likes being in the light when it knows it's really night time, nor does it like being in the dark while the sun is up outside. That is just how I feel from my personal expierence with the matter.

[A-Shizzle]

that's really interesting. I've never found sleep to have anything to do with my acne but I think that's because my body is so use to not sleeping that it doesn't matter if I sleep 2 hours or 12.
I don't have any possible solutions other than if it's that important to your body to be asleep by 1030 then try your hardest to do so.
I do find the correlation between sleep and acne very intersting.