Better Sleep for Better Health

You might be wondering—what does sleep have to do with skin care?

As it turns out... everything.

While we’re busy catching Zzz’s, our skin is hard at work. Overnight, your body releases hormones that trigger skin repair, collagen production, and cellular regeneration. So if your skin’s feeling dry, dull, or inflamed, don’t just blame your cleanser or moisturizer.

Take a closer look at your sleep habits.

I had the chance to talk with Molly Eastman, founder of Sleep Is a Skill, about the real connection between sleep and skin health. And wow—this was packed with info.

Difficulty sleeping? It'll affect your skin. Fix your sleep with Mollie Eastman of Sleep is a Skill

Here are the biggest "Better Sleep = Better Skin" takeaways you need to know:

💤 Your Skin Uses Sleep to Repair and Rebuild

Think of sleep as your body’s “night shift” for skin care. This is when:

Collagen is produced
Inflammation decreases
Hydration levels are regulated
Skin cells regenerate

Without enough quality sleep, your skin’s repair process gets cut short. That can lead to dryness, dullness, and even flare-ups of eczema or psoriasis.

⏰ The Power of Your Circadian Rhythm (Yes, It Affects Skin Too)

Your body runs on a 24-hour biological clock called the circadian rhythm.

Light, food, temperature, and sleep-wake times all influence this internal clock.

When your circadian rhythm is strong and consistent, it supports healthy hormone production, like melatonin and cortisol, which impacts not only how you sleep, but also how your skin behaves.

Molly emphasized something that stuck with me: “We focus so much on bedtime routines, but it all starts with your morning.”

👉 Tip: Get outside within an hour of waking up.

Even 10–15 minutes of natural light helps anchor your circadian rhythm, which can improve your energy during the day—and help you fall asleep more easily at night.

😴 Good Sleep Isn’t Just About How Many Hours You Get

I’ll be honest, I’m an early riser. I wake up at 4:45 am most days, and sometimes I feel guilty wondering if I’m getting enough sleep. But as Molly pointed out, it’s not just about total hours; it’s about consistency and quality.

Here’s what she looks at when assessing sleep:

Psychology: Are you stressed or anxious? Going through grief or burnout?
Physiology: Hormones, blood sugar, thyroid function, and perimenopause all matter.
Environment: Your light exposure, bedtime routine, and even bedroom temperature.

That trio forms what she calls the Sleep Tripod.

🔬 Track Your Sleep (And What It’s Telling You About Your Skin)

Molly uses sleep trackers like the Oura Ring to monitor patterns like:

Heart rate variability (HRV): A marker for stress resilience
Body temperature: Which can fluctuate with hormones
REM and deep sleep time: When healing and restoration happen

If you’ve ever felt like your skin flares up when you’re sleep-deprived, it’s not in your head. Your skin is reflecting what’s happening inside your body.

🛏️ Bedroom Setup Tips for Better Skin (and Sleep!)

Want a better night’s sleep and better skin to show for it?

Start with these:

Make your room dark... really dark. Pitch black is ideal. Use blackout curtains, cover glowing electronics, and avoid overhead lighting before bed.
Cool it down. 60–67°F is ideal for optimal sleep and skin regeneration.
Use red or dim lights after sunset. This helps melatonin production, which is key for cellular repair.
Avoid eating too late. Late-night meals can spike blood sugar and disrupt sleep, which can show up on your skin the next day.

And yes, nasal breathing matters, even while you sleep. Mouth breathing can affect oxygen flow and increase inflammation (both bad news for skin). Consider gentle mouth taping if you tend to snore or breathe through your mouth at night.

👩‍🔬 Functional Skin Care Starts with Functional Sleep

At MadeOn, we believe great skin care starts long before you apply a lotion bar.

Sleep is where the real work happens. So if you’re doing all the “right” things for your skin, like using natural products, eating clean, staying hydrated, but you're still struggling with dryness or irritation... it might be time to zoom out and look at your sleep habits.

Because when your body gets the rest it needs, your skin gets the care it craves.

Resources Mentioned:

Mollie's website: https://www.sleepisaskill.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/molliemcglocklin/
Mollie’s website/newsletter sign up: https://www.sleepisaskill.com/newsletter
Podcast episodes: https://www.sleepisaskill.com/podcasts Specifically Dr Michael Breus (Sleep Doctor) episode 66 and AlisaVitti, episode 8 (author of Woman Code, creator of MyFlo app)

Timestamps of Better Sleep for Better Health Video

6:30 Mollie describes her back story of suffering from chronic sleep deprivation, insomnia, and anxiety around sleep, and when it all came crashing down on a trip to Rome.

For many years she missed the signs that her unhealthy sleep habits were contributing to her health issues

9:20 Felt like she was at rock bottom in Rome

10:30 Had to return to America to fix sleep, and restore homeostasis

11:30 Dug so deeply into sleep & finding solutions that she wanted to help others, and transform other’s sleep

12:18 Types of groups she works with:

Works with a lot of people that make their own hours, and that is the blessing and curse

They tend to have lack of clear boundaries

Acute issues

Biohacker group

13:48 What do you look at first? Do a full-scale assessment. Their Sleep Tripod: Psychology, physiology, & environment

15:35 Tracking sleep data, Oura Ring is used with every client. Consumer-grade Whoop, Biostrap, Apple Watch, Dream Headbands, can be an automated sleep diary

Prescription grade trackers for sleep apnea, Sleep Image is one

17:25 Like to look at HRV, Heart Rate Variability & how the body is dealing with stress

17:50 What do our habits look like, pattern spotting

21:00 Sleep is a Skill, it’s not simplistic

21:30 How long it took Mollie to resolve her sleep issues

23:25 Empowering to have resolved her sleep issues, and encourages others to uplevel their sleep. It’s the foundation for health.

25:30 Should you sleep with your mouth open or closed?

28:30 Sleeping with a snorer tips

32:12 New sleep apnea treatments

33:30 Circadian Rhythm Entrainment & Zeitgebers (Time givers)

36:00 Most important thing you can do: Get yourself outside every single morning for sunlight anchoring!

39:25 Bedroom temperature