Key Takeaways
- Prioritizing quality sleep supports skin health, brain function, and emotional balance as we age.
- As we age, deep sleep tends to fragment and diminish as our sleep architecture changes.
- Sticking to a consistent sleep-wake time (even on the weekends), limiting caffeine after 2 p.m., and getting outside early in the day can prepare you for optimal rest at night.
From face sculpting (see: Skims’ viral face wrap) to Botox, our generation is obsessed with products and procedures that promise to help you “age well” or, moreso, reverse the physical signs of aging entirely. But what if I said it’s possible to age gracefully without spending a ton of money or any at all?
In addition to maintaining a healthy diet, having an active lifestyle, and managing stress, according to science, the best thing you can do for your long-term health—yes, including your skin health—is to regularly have a good night’s rest.
To understand how a quality sleep routine can contribute to healthy aging, I tapped three sleep and longevity experts. Turns out, deep sleep, in particular, is essential for physical, cognitive, and emotional recovery, not to mention your overall health, particularly as you age.
How Does Deep Sleep Aid in Cellular Repair?
Think of deep sleep as the stage in your sleep cycle when your body makes a pit stop at the biological repair shop. It’s a nightly maintenance process that helps keep your cells healthy and functioning properly, says William Lu, MD, national medical director at Dreem Health, a digital sleep clinic.
During deep sleep, the body undergoes cellular repair by triggering the release of growth hormones, which help rebuild damaged tissues and support cell regeneration, says Dr. Lu. During this period, “the body also clears out waste products from cells, including toxins from the brain,” he adds. The production of proteins crucial for tissue and organ function also occurs during the deep sleep stage, says Andrea Matsumura, MD, a board-certified physician in internal and sleep medicine.
Moreover, the mitochondria—the powerhouse of the cell—shifts focus from energy production to recovery and repair during slow-wave sleep, says Halland Chen, MD, a longevity expert and chief medical innovation officer at Eden. During deep sleep, NAD+ or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a coenzyme important to mitochondrial function, does most of its heavy lifting in DNA repair, oxidative stress protection, and circadian rhythm regulation, Dr. Halland explains.
Research shows that maintaining high NAD+ levels and metabolism play a crucial role in longevity and possibly mitigating age-related diseases. On the flip side, low levels of this coenzyme, due to sleep deprivation and aging, is associated with oxidative stress, faster cellular aging, and impaired mitochondrial function, says Dr. Halland.
TL;DR
Good quality sleep keeps your body healthy and functioning optimally, while chronic poor sleep causes inflammation and stress, accelerates aging, and can even increase chronic disease risk, such as cardiovascular health issues.
How Sleep Impacts Memory and Mood With Age
Deep sleep is not only vital for your body’s physical recovery and function, but cognitively, this stage in the sleep cycle is essential for memory and mood regulation. Deep sleep “supports memory consolidation and learning by helping the brain process and store new information,” says Dr. Lu.
Emotionally, “deep sleep helps regulate mood and stress levels by balancing hormones,” Dr. Lu adds, thus reducing the risk of mood swings and anxiety, says Dr. Halland.
Consistent inadequate sleep, on the other hand, impairs memory, concentration, and decision-making, says Dr. Lu. Consequently, poor-quality sleep is linked to cognitive decline, says Dr. Matsumura. And regular sleep disturbance, such as insomnia, may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease due to systemic inflammation.
“Beauty Sleep” and Skin Health
Catching up on “beauty sleep” is more than a snappy excuse to get out of evening plans—it’s actually a real thing.
During deep sleep is when your skin gets a natural facial. Skin cell turnover accelerates, blood flow to the skin increases, and collagen production is stimulated, say the experts. “This process aids in repairing UV damage and keeping the skin visibly healthy,” says Dr. Halland. As mentioned, “sleep also helps reduce inflammation, which can improve conditions like acne or eczema,” says Dr. Lu.
On the contrary, poor sleep elevates cortisol (the stress hormone), “which breaks down collagen and leads to dull, dehydrated skin as well as premature aging,” says Dr. Matsumura. The result is dark circles and more fine lines and wrinkles, adds Dr. Lu.
“For women, especially in midlife and menopause, sleep disruptions can amplify hormonal imbalances and skin aging,” says Dr. Matsumura, which is why it’s particularly important to prioritize sleep as you age.
Tips for Achieving Better Deep Sleep
While it’s true that as we age, deep sleep tends to fragment and diminish—“a natural change in sleep architecture,” per Dr. Halland—still, having an adequate sleep routine can help mitigate some of the poor health effects of sleep disturbance.
That said, here’s how to get better sleep, according to the experts:
1. Stick to a Consistent Sleep Schedule
Regulating your circadian rhythm, which for most people is 24 hours, is key for your sleep health. “Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day helps regulate your body’s internal clock, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up naturally,” says Dr. Lu. It also supports deeper, more restorative sleep, adds Dr. Matsumura. And yes, weekends are also included in this schedule.
Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day helps regulate your body’s internal clock, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up naturally.
2. Limit Your Caffeine and Alcohol Intake
“Caffeine delays deep sleep onset,” says Dr. Halland. And while alcohol may knock you out quickly, “it fragments sleep quality and suppresses REM as well as deep sleep cycles.” In other words, avoiding caffeine and alcohol close to bedtime prevents sleep disturbance as both can interfere with your body’s ability to fall and stay asleep, explains Dr. Lu.
Expert Tip
If possible, Dr. Matsumura recommends avoiding caffeine after 2 p.m. or at least eight hours before bed.
3. Create a Comfortable Sleep Environment
The ideal bedroom setting for deep sleep is cool, dark, and quiet. “A comfortable sleep environment free from light, noise, and heat promotes deeper, uninterrupted sleep,” says Dr. Lu. If you live in a noisy, crowded city like New York, it’s worth considering investing in blackout curtains and earplugs. A white noise machine can also help mask outside noises and promote relaxation when complete silence is not achievable.
Expert Tip
For women in menopause, Dr. Matsumura recommends cooling or moisture-wicking bedding and a fan to help prevent sleep disturbances during hot flashes.
4. Get Outside
While at night, a dark environment is conducive to achieving good quality sleep, during the day, it’s important to build up sleep pressure by getting natural light. Sunlight early in the morning and engaging in light movement promotes melatonin production in the evening, says Dr. Halland.
Expert Tip
For optimal rest, Dr. Matsumura recommends getting outside for at least 20 minutes, if not more, early in the day.
5. Switch Off Screens Two Hours Before Bed
In our digital age, it’s very common to spend at least an hour doomscrolling right before bed, or even fall asleep with your phone on your face while going down a TikTok rabbit hole (been there). But staring at your phone right before bed is actually the worst thing you can do for your sleep hygiene. That’s because digital devices emit blue light, which interferes with melatonin—your body’s natural “sleep signal,” says Dr. Halland.
While you can always switch your device to Night Mode, switching off screens entirely at least two hours before bed is ideal.
Expert Tip
As an alternative, try engaging in a relaxing activity before bed, like reading or meditating, says Dr. Lu. These analog pursuits signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down and prepare you for a restful sleep.
