You know the importance of a good night’s sleep. It’s not just in the way we feel; it’s in the decisions we make, the food we choose to eat (hello choosing a sandwich over chocolate cake for lunch!), and in the pleasantness of our relationships.

But getting that sleep is harder than understanding how important it is. If you’re a nighttime tosser and turner, you well know the frustration of failing to enter Dreamland. Even if you typically get the recommended 7 to 9 hours, you may still face semi-regular challenges to your sleep – or simply wake up not feeling your best.

One of the best (and most surprising) sleep hacks to up your sleep quality: a silk pillowcase.

Never Underestimate the Power of a Good Night’s Sleep

Before we discuss the benefits of a silk pillowcase, though, let’s take a minute to appreciate how truly critical sleep is to your wellbeing … both now and in the future.

Sleeping well boosts your immunity and prevents you from getting sick as often. “Scientific evidence is building that sleep has powerful effects on immune functioning,” says the CDC. “Studies show that sleep loss can affect different parts of the immune system, which can lead to the development of a wide variety of disorders.”

Good sleep also improves your mood, and vice versa: a lack of adequate sleep can drag you down emotionally. It increases anxiety and depression and makes basic day-to-day functioning more difficult. These issues can also make it harder to fall asleep, leading to a vicious cycle.

Even if you don’t develop a serious mood disorder from poor sleep, even a lost hour or two can cause a serious case of the grumpies – and more.

“When you do not get enough sleep, you feel tired, you find it hard to concentrate and remember things,” says the Better Health Channel. “Lack of sleep can also impair your judgement and impact your physical coordination.”

When it comes to sleep, you can’t be too careful, so you need every possible tool in the kit. As it turns out, the benefits of a silk pillowcase are right at the top of the list.

The Benefits of a Silk Pillowcase

The benefits of silk are far more than aesthetic … it can also be a healthy and a beauty game changer.

Silk Regulates Temperature and Helps You Sleep

Our body temperature is critical to a good night’s sleep. You already know this. It’s why you have to kick off the covers when it gets hot or put on socks when you visit your Aunt Martha’s freezing house. (Does she not know it’s December??)

The science backs this up. One study explains that “heat exposure increases wakefulness and decreases slow wave sleep and rapid eye movement sleep. Humid heat exposure further increases thermal load during sleep and affects sleep stages and thermoregulation.”

In other words, getting too hot while you sleep is bad, because it wakes you up. Silk can assist there because it helps to keep you cool, which is why even the military is interested in it. Happily, you don’t need Department of Defense funding for a silk pillowcase … you can get one whenever you want!

Silk Absorbs Less Moisture Than Other Fabrics

Silk also absorbs less moisture than other fabrics. This is good in two ways:

1. Your pillowcase doesn’t become damp, which is uncomfortable. Plus, if you’ll recall from above, “humid heat” is responsible for greater wakefulness in the night, so you want to avoid it wherever possible, and a silk pillowcase (and sheets) can help you do that.
2. Your pillowcase won’t sap as much moisture from your skin. Because nighttime moisture nourishes your complexion – which is why anyone of any gender past the age of 15 should have an evening skincare routine – you want to lock it in with bedding that won’t steal it away. That will also help to prevent dry skin, flaking, irritation, and redness during arid months at the height of summer or winter.

The benefits to your skin don’t stop there, though.

You’ll See Fewer Morning Wrinkles With Silk

Ever wake up for an important meeting or an early coffee date, only to see what looks like the Grand Canyon of sleep wrinkles on one side of your face? Yeah, we’ve all been there, and it’s not our favorite feeling.

The benefits of a silk pillowcase once again come into play here. According to a Good Housekeeping interview with noted dermatologist Dr. Neal Schultz, silk has less friction and so tugs less on the skin. “We get 'crush wrinkles' from sleeping on our side/face,” the good doctor told the magazine, “so we may get less of those when sleeping on silk.” And sleep wrinkles over time can become permanent.

Silk Pillowcases Protect Your Hair

Even more benefits of a silk pillowcase, you’re wondering? Yes, and this last one has to do with hair. Those with natural hair have known for a long time that silk can help prevent tangling, crushing of curls, or frizziness. If you have a protective style (braids, for instance), then silk does a great job of not pulling hair out of it and causing frizz.

Even for those with naturally straight or loosely wavy hair, though, silk can provide lots of benefits. It allows more body to stay in hair overnight and doesn’t cause split ends as quickly. That’s because the lack of moisture absorption leaves natural oils in hair as well as skin – yay!

The fact of the matter is, you really can’t overstate the power of this fabric as a fabulous sleep aid, so it’s time to leverage the benefits of a silk pillowcase for yourself.

A Silk Pillowcase for Better Sleep – and a Better You

It’s a sad truth that between one and three people in the United States don’t get adequate sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep depends on a lot of factors, of course. How well you curate a bedtime routine – called “sleep hygiene” by the experts – matters a lot, as does the supportiveness of your pillow. Forget about that, and you could face serious neck or back pain.

Other factors of good sleep include making your room cool or dark enough, as well as prioritizing a pillowcase and sheets that are comfortable and good for your body. Trust us when we say that as soon as you try silk, you’ll become loyal to it for life. There’s a reason people who convert don’t go back.

We believe that sleep should restore you, not age you, which is why we’re such firm supporters of choosing the right pillowcase fabrics for yourself and your entire family. If you’re looking for long-term positivity, productivity, beauty, and happiness, you really should understand trust in the benefits of a silk pillowcase.

Want to learn more today? Feel free to browse our site or reach out for assistance. Our team is standing by to answer questions and lead you to the right choices, so don’t hesitate to get in touch!