The Sleep Mistake That Makes You Look Older

The iconic Betty White famously said, "Get at least eight hours of beauty sleep. Nine if you're ugly." Of course, this adage is more than tongue-in-cheek, but the coinage "beauty sleep" is probably as old as time, because sleep does wonders for our bodies. According to Dr. Merrill Mitler, sleep expert and neuroscientist at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), "Sleep services all aspects of our body in one way or another: molecular, energy balance, as well as intellectual function, alertness, and mood," (via News In Health). "Sleep affects almost every tissue in our bodies. It affects growth and stress hormones, our immune system, appetite, breathing, blood pressure, and cardiovascular health," added Dr. Michael Twery, a sleep expert at the NIH. From our mind to our body, the importance of sleep can't be overstated.

Like Dr. Twery said, sleeping improves our immune system — which boosts collagen production and makes our skin look youthful. More sleep equals reduced wrinkles, less swollen and puffy eyes, and eases the appearance of under-eye dark circles. Given all these sleep benefits, you're probably thinking that getting eight hours of beauty sleep should help you look healthier and younger, correct? Well, not quite.

It's not just about the hours you clock in but the quality of the sleep you get during those hours. And, we hate to break the news to you, but chances are you're making a mistake when you sleep that makes you look older: sleeping in a room that's too warm. Wait, what? The temperature of the room you sleep in can make you look older? Yes, it can! Here's how.

Sleep psychologist Michelle Drerup told the Cleveland Clinic that the ideal temperature to sleep in is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit. "It should be cool, dark, and quiet to enhance your sleep," she said. The reason for this (aside from helping you fall asleep more easily) is that as we sleep, our bodies naturally cool down to help preserve energy. "Decrease in one's core body temperature during sleep comes from reducing our metabolic output, decreased muscle tone, and decreased sympathetic tone from vasodilation leading to heat loss distally," Dr. Valerie Cacho, integrative sleep physician and women's sleep expert, told Health News. Plus, when it's dark, our body secretes melatonin, which guides our body to get into resting mode.

But what does body temperature have to do with looking older or younger? According to Natasha Turner, naturopathic doctor and bestselling author, "As body temperature drops, growth hormone is released and works its regenerative magic," (via HuffPost). A warmer room will get in the way of our body's natural cooling-down process and hinder the release of this rejuvenating hormone. Plus, the melatonin that we mentioned above has anti-aging properties (and we all know what happens as we age — yes, pesky wrinkles!).

So, for those of you who like to be warm and toasty while you're getting some rest, we have some bad news — it's actually one of the biggest beauty mistakes you're making when you sleep. Without a cool room, the release of both melatonin and growth hormone is more difficult, and you might actually start looking older — that's the opposite of what you want out of some beauty sleep!

Given that the way you sleep really can cause wrinkles (or at least make us look older), how can you ensure that you sleep at an optimal temperature? Using the AC is one obvious solution, but there are other ways you can achieve the ideal sleep condition in regards to how cool it gets.

Sleep therapist Christabel Majendie offered some advice: "Keep hot air out of the bedroom in the day by closing windows, blinds, and curtains as the temperature rises," (via Healthline). She also suggested keeping the windows open at night when the breeze is cooler (provided that it's safe to do so). Investing in good quality sheets can also help with staying cool(er). "Reduce the amount of bed clothes and bedding you normally use and ensure these are made from natural fibers, as these regulate your body temperature better than synthetic materials," said Majendie. Another way to help your body stay cool while sleeping is by placing your mattress on the floor, as the ground is generally a lower temperature.

Alternatively, you can use a cooling pillow that helps your head, neck, and shoulders (parts that touch the pillow) keep cool while you sleep. As Dr. Alon Avidan, director of the UCLA Sleep Disorders Center, told WebMD, "These pillows create a temperature drop not in the body but in the head, particularly in the prefrontal cortex. When brain temperature is cooler, people can achieve better sleep quality and more slow wave sleep."