Sleeping on your side or front can cause 'sleep wrinkles'

Published: 4-Aug-2016

ASAPS study finds facial wrinkles develop due to compression, tension and forces

  • ASAPS study finds 'sleep wrinkles' can develop due to compression, tension and forces on face

  • Sleeping supine or on the back is said to be the best way to avoid wrinkles caused during shut-eye

  • On average people shift their sleeping positions 20 times a night

Sleeping on your side or front has been found to contribute to the development of facial wrinkles, a study by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) has revealed.

The authors behind the study, published in Aestheict Surgery Journal, claim that sleeping supine, or on the back, is the best way to limit ‘sleep wrinkles’, relieving compression, tension and shear forces applied to the face during sleep.

Sleep wrinkles form in response to distortion created when the face is pressed against any sleep surface

ASAPS member and lead author Dr Goesel Anson

ASAPS member and lead author Dr Goesel Anson said: “Sleep wrinkles form in response to distortion created when the face is pressed against any sleep surface. They tend to worsen over time due to repetition combined with thinning of the skin and decreased elasticity as we age.”

She added: “If you can stay on your back, that’s ideal. There are several specialty pillows available to help achieve that.

"Dermal fillers can temporarily improve wrinkles of any type however neurotoxins won’t have much effect on these wrinkles since they are not caused by muscle contractions.”

The study found that on average people ‘shift’ in their sleep on average 20 times a night. As a person ages, this number decreases from 27 to 16 times a night.

The most common sleeping position is lateral or on the side (65%), followed by supine or on the back (30%) and then prone or on the stomach (5%).

Most sleep wrinkles appear on the forehead, lips and cheeks, and tend to be perpendicular to expression wrinkles, the study found.

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