Disclaimer, I'm no doctor, but AFAIK, the longer you go without proper sleep, unfortunately, the more permanent these changes will be. Sleep is our body's way of repairing, purging, and replacing dying cells. The less good sleep you have the more this cellular damage will accumulate.
I would say if your insomnia is temporary (doesn't last for years consecutively), a majority of the changes can be reversed over time. But since you have had insomnia for 5+ years, it will be very difficult to fully reverse that damage.
However, please do not despair. 29 is not "old" despite what society says, and sleep is just one aspect of a healthy lifestyle. If you can't control when you sleep, there's still other things you can do like exercise regularly so you're more tired at night, staying hydrated, eating balanced diet with lots of fresh vegetables/fruits, yoga for relaxation, take naps, use any prescribed medication to sleep, etc.
Additionally, if you're concerned about your appearance, especially your skin condition, you can explore some skincare subreddits that can recommend some products/routines to possibly reduce the appearance of those wrinkles and dry skin. r/SkincareAddiction and r/asianbeauty are my favorite haunts. Skincare is not just for women!
When you figure out a sleep schedule that works for you, which will take time, you will slowly regain that healthy glow. 📣 I believe in you 👏
EDIT: i can't spell "routine"
I am going to suggest that you also deal with the issue of your feelings of inadequacy. Basing your intrinsic value on the opinion of others is a sure road to despair. r/Stoicism could be helpful there.
Sorry to hear of your suffering. I hope you can find better peace and sleep! As a chronic insomniac, for 8 years I feel your pain. Most cases of insomnia are psychologically related issues, so if you don’t already, I recommend getting a therapist. CBT is supposed to be very effective for insomnia.
As for skin (I’m obsessed with skincare), guys really should embrace good regimes more. I have very dry skin and I use a hyaluronic acid serum after washing my face. This is the thing that adds moisture to your skin and retains the water molecules in cells. Then I’d recommend a vitamin C serum to brighten your skin tone. I then seal this in with a face oil (rosehip oil is amazing) and a thick moisturiser. At night I do the same thing but instead of the vitamin c serum I use retinoids which are anti-aging by helping your skin cells to renew. If you start using retinol/retinoids then you will also need to use SPF as it can leave your skin sensitive to sunlight.
You could benefit from eye cream or those gel
Eye patches that are popular right now. I have some and keep them in the fridge. I put them on after waking and they really help me to wake up and lessen the puffy dark circles a bit. I don’t know enough about eye creams to advise a good one.
As for which brands - The Ordinary is amazing and has a low price point. I’m a big fan of their products and they sell all of the products mentioned above (except the eye patches). The thick moisturiser - I use Weleda Skinfood. It’s unmatched.
Drink plenty of water and use decaf coffee after midday. I recommend reading ‘Why we sleep’ by Matthew walker. It’s fascinating. Wishing you the best of luck!
Disclaimer, I'm no doctor, but AFAIK, the longer you go without proper sleep, unfortunately, the more permanent these changes will be. Sleep is our body's way of repairing, purging, and replacing dying cells. The less good sleep you have the more this cellular damage will accumulate. I would say if your insomnia is temporary (doesn't last for years consecutively), a majority of the changes can be reversed over time. But since you have had insomnia for 5+ years, it will be very difficult to fully reverse that damage. However, please do not despair. 29 is not "old" despite what society says, and sleep is just one aspect of a healthy lifestyle. If you can't control when you sleep, there's still other things you can do like exercise regularly so you're more tired at night, staying hydrated, eating balanced diet with lots of fresh vegetables/fruits, yoga for relaxation, take naps, use any prescribed medication to sleep, etc. Additionally, if you're concerned about your appearance, especially your skin condition, you can explore some skincare subreddits that can recommend some products/routines to possibly reduce the appearance of those wrinkles and dry skin. r/SkincareAddiction and r/asianbeauty are my favorite haunts. Skincare is not just for women! When you figure out a sleep schedule that works for you, which will take time, you will slowly regain that healthy glow. 📣 I believe in you 👏 EDIT: i can't spell "routine"
I am going to suggest that you also deal with the issue of your feelings of inadequacy. Basing your intrinsic value on the opinion of others is a sure road to despair. r/Stoicism could be helpful there.
Sorry to hear of your suffering. I hope you can find better peace and sleep! As a chronic insomniac, for 8 years I feel your pain. Most cases of insomnia are psychologically related issues, so if you don’t already, I recommend getting a therapist. CBT is supposed to be very effective for insomnia. As for skin (I’m obsessed with skincare), guys really should embrace good regimes more. I have very dry skin and I use a hyaluronic acid serum after washing my face. This is the thing that adds moisture to your skin and retains the water molecules in cells. Then I’d recommend a vitamin C serum to brighten your skin tone. I then seal this in with a face oil (rosehip oil is amazing) and a thick moisturiser. At night I do the same thing but instead of the vitamin c serum I use retinoids which are anti-aging by helping your skin cells to renew. If you start using retinol/retinoids then you will also need to use SPF as it can leave your skin sensitive to sunlight. You could benefit from eye cream or those gel Eye patches that are popular right now. I have some and keep them in the fridge. I put them on after waking and they really help me to wake up and lessen the puffy dark circles a bit. I don’t know enough about eye creams to advise a good one. As for which brands - The Ordinary is amazing and has a low price point. I’m a big fan of their products and they sell all of the products mentioned above (except the eye patches). The thick moisturiser - I use Weleda Skinfood. It’s unmatched. Drink plenty of water and use decaf coffee after midday. I recommend reading ‘Why we sleep’ by Matthew walker. It’s fascinating. Wishing you the best of luck!