Sleep Strategies

This information is courtesy of acneresearch.org.

If you can’t sleep, focus on improving your melatonin cycle. Human beings evolved to be in daylight when we were awake and complete darkness (aside from starlight) when we are asleep.

This means being up and about during the day, and sleeping in a completely dark room at night. Daytime sunlight suppresses your bodies natural melatonin, which allows it to surge at night. The pineal glands in your brain sense daylight and produce melatonin. Note: you don’t need to be in the sunlight, simply looking at a sky from the shade causes your brain to suppress melatonin production. I would also recommend making sure you are actually in the sunlight for 20-30 minutes/day, so your body produces enough Vitamin D. When they sense nighttime, they suppress melatonin. This instructs your body to go to sleep. Go to bed at the same time every night. Your body will begin producing melatonin at this time. If you change bedtimes, you’ll disrupt your melatonin cycle and risk insomnia.

There is quite a bit of information that links problems with the melatonin cycle to acne, cancer, and other health problems.

You should spend the evening in the dimmest light possible so that your bodies melatonin begins to spike. Indoor lighting does not suppress melatonin, which prevents your melatonin from spiking in the evenings. It is this melatonin spike which puts you to sleep.