The effects of time, gravity and sun exposure all make for the eventual wrinkles that appear on everyone’s face. These wrinkles appear along predictable and classic locations that are usually perpendicular to the movement of the underlying facial muscles. But not all facial wrinkles appear this way and their presence can be more difficult to explain. One influencing factor is that of your sleep position. Certain sleep positions can make more wrinkles appear and in often unusual locations. Sleeping on the side of your face pushed into the pillow can create vertical wrinkle lines in the forehead and the side of the face. When you count up the number of hours one sleeps over decades, it is not surprising that these pressure forces create creases or wrinkles. The best sleep position is the ‘mummy position’, flat on your back and with your face forward.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana