Another good health habit that is especially important for people
with acne is getting adequate sleep. Sleep strengthens the body by
allowing the body to rest, which in turn strengthens the immune
system’s ability to fight off acne-causing bacteria. It also helps regulate
hormone production. A 1999 study at the University of
Chicago Medical Center showed that cortisol production increases when people do not get adequate sleep. Since excess cortisol leads
to increased sebum production, getting plenty of sleep keeps cortisol
levels low and thus helps control acne.
In addition, a 2003 study conducted by the Endocrine Society
in Chevy Chase, Maryland, found that a loss of just two hours of
sleep per week increases the body’s production of inflammationcausing
chemicals by 60 percent. The result is a worsening of inflammatory
acne. Aformer acne patient describes how lack of sleep
affected his skin: “When I pulled an all-nighter my face erupted
like a volcano; and not with little blackheads either, but with big
red welts. As a teenager with acne I needed to get at least eight
hours of sleep a night.”
While getting adequate sleep is important, acne outbreaks can
be exacerbated if the bedding on which acne patients sleep is not changed often. When people sleep, oil, bacteria, and dead skin cells
rub off their skin and accumulate on their bedding. The bedding
absorbs these items, which then find their way back onto the skin,
clogging the pores and causing new acne outbreaks. Therefore, it
is important that people with acne change their sheets and pillowcases
often. An acne patients explains: “I have found that changing
my bedding, especially my pillowcase, every few days has
helped my skin stay clear.”
