Your Skin and Sleeping Position

I went for a facial the other day and the aesthetician asked me if I always slept on the left. When I thought about it I realised that I did. Someone had told me that sleeping on the left improved digestion, so since then that’s how I slept. But I found it surprising how she could guess my sleeping position just by observing my face. She explained that my face was fuller, puffier on the left because the fluids pooled towards one side. So you see just getting enough sleep is not enough, what also counts is how you sleep. 

Dermatologists say that the best position to sleep is lying flat on your back, but most of us are habituated to curl on the side or on the stomach. I have tried to sleep straight on my back but it seems a bit difficult. So I change my sleeping pose everyday to avoid puffiness or lines on one side. Think about it, if you just sleep in one position it is bound to cause some sort of permanent wrinkling on that one cheek, which hits the pillow, or even your neck, since its twisted into the same angle everyday. 

When I do try to sleep upright, I place a pillow under my knees to ease out my lower back and make the position really comfortable. Sometimes I also like to play yoga nidra on my phone because that requires this sort of straight, facing up position. Also, it just puts you to sleep before you know it. 

One last tip on how you can utilise your sleep: A few years back I met a woman who spent all her time in high heels. She told me that when she was running all day and her feet were swollen and achy, she slept with a pillow under her ankles. The small lift reduced swelling and pain, helping her get back into her heels the very next day.   

Oh, and here's a link to my favourite yoga nidra. Just lie down on your back, and play it on your phone, if you find it difficult to sleep: