Skin cells that help patch up wounds work more quickly in the daytime than they do at night, thanks to the workings of our circadian clock. The finding suggests patients might recover from injury more quickly if they have surgery during the right time of day.
They measured the rates of healing at different times of day and discovered that, indeed, wound healing happened faster during the daytime.
During the deepest phases of sleep, blood flow to muscles increases. Since blood carries oxygen and nutrients, this helps the muscles heal. In many cases, cells are regenerated by this increased flow of blood.
Your skin needs a lot of moisture and warmth to heal well. Putting a heating pad or water bottle on the wound can also help increase blood flow to the wound, and therefore speed up recovery.
Which Part of the Body Heals the Fastest? Muscles and tendons generally heal the fastest. These parts of the body recover more quickly thanks to an ample blood supply. The circulatory system provides muscles with plenty of nutrients and oxygen needed for healing.
Nerves typically take the longest, healing after 3-4 months. Cartilage takes about 12 weeks to heal. Ligaments take about 10-12 weeks to heal. Bones take about 6-8 weeks to heal on average.
Pressure Ulcers
An example of a hard-to-heal wound is a pressure ulcer, otherwise known as bedsore. These form on bony prominences, usually in cases where people are immobilized for extended periods of time such as people who are injured or the elderly.
Factors that can slow the wound healing process include: Dead skin (necrosis) – dead skin and foreign materials interfere with the healing process. Infection – an open wound may develop a bacterial infection. The body fights the infection rather than healing the wound.
The factors discussed include oxygenation, infection, age and sex hormones, stress, diabetes, obesity, medications, alcoholism, smoking, and nutrition. A better understanding of the influence of these factors on repair may lead to therapeutics that improve wound healing and resolve impaired wounds.
While you may generally feel weak for a couple of days after your injury or surgery, you should feel better day-by-day, especially with medication and rest. But if you suddenly feel very exhausted, you might want to have your wound checked by a doctor to see if it's infected.
Hormones could be a major factor, says Slawsby. "Nighttime is when the production of the anti-inflammatory hormone cortisol is at its lowest." New research also has suggested that pain may follow a circadian rhythm like the body's internal 24-clock that regulates our sleep-wake cycle.
The Science Behind Sleep & Recovery
As you fall into the deeper stages of sleep, your muscles will see an increase in blood flow, which brings along oxygen and nutrients that that help recover and repair muscles and regenerate cells. Hormones play a role, too.
“Time heals all wounds” is one of the most popular sayings, but it may not be completely true. Although time is not exactly a healer, it can have healing purposes. Ultimately, though, it's up to you to find ways to achieve healing during the time that passes after experiencing a wound or trauma.
Contrary to folk wisdom, wounds need moisture — not air — to heal. Leaving a wound uncovered can slow down the healing process.
Clean the area each day
Remove the bandage or dressing at least once a day to cleanse the wound. Once the wound has been irrigated and cleaned, apply a new bandage. In more complicated wounds, like pressure sores, you may have to wash out the wound two to three times a day to help prevent infection.
Dressing removal, wound cleansing, debridement, microbial damage and inappropriate dressing selection can all contribute to wound-related pain. However, it has been demonstrated that dressing removal and wound cleansing are often reported as the most painful experiences associated with wound management (8).
Phase 2: Inflammation
This phase can be the most painful of all. It is often when you'll notice some reddening, heat and pain as your blood rushes to the wound to clean it. Inflammation generally takes up to six days and should go away.
Eating well during wound healing helps you heal faster and fight infection. During healing your body needs more calories, protein, fluid, vitamin A, vitamin C, and zinc. The best source of these nutrients is food. If you are not eating enough healthy food, you may need to take a supplement.
Promote Wound Healing with Good Nutrition
Choose vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin C, such as broccoli or strawberries. For adequate zinc, choose fortified grains and protein foods, such as beef, chicken, seafood or beans. Some wounds may require a higher intake of certain vitamins and minerals to support healing.
Research into biomaterials has found that the combination of banana skin and chitosan, applied topically to a wound, provides a skin tissue “scaffold” which provides a structure for cell movement and activity. The advantages of this combination are: good biocompatibility and low toxicity.
Studies have found that caffeine can impede wound healing and epithelialization,23 inhibit collagen synthesis,8 and disturb early stages of bone healing.
A chronic wound is a wound that does not heal in an orderly set of stages and in a predictable amount of time or wounds that do not heal within three months are often considered chronic. Chronic wounds often remain in the inflammatory stage for too long and may never heal or may take years.
A burn injury is one of the most painful injuries a person can endure, and the subsequent wound care required to treat it is often more painful than the initial trauma [1]. Severe burn injuries are almost always treated in surgical units and preferably in multidisciplinary burn centers.