DOES LACK OF SLEEP CAUSE HAIR LOSS?

Calling out to everyone who is staying up late a little too often! Are you guilty of binge watching Netflix, burning the midnight oil studying, or totally addicted to just scrolling... This blog's for you!

A common question that resurfaces from time-to-time is; does lack of sleep lead to hair loss? We know this can sometimes sound very far fetched, but let's think about this for a moment shall we? By staying up late more often than not, we are sacrificing a good sleep pattern that our bodies need to grow and be healthy. 

What are the symptoms of sleep deprivation?

Lack of sleep (sleep deprivation) is different for everyone. However these are the most common symptoms people experience.

• Thinking issues / forgetfulness (cognitive function)
• Weakened immune system
• Weight gain
• Faster ageing skin
• Hair loss 

Why would lack of sleep lead to hair loss?

In simple terms, when your mind and body are sleep deprived, there is a spike in our stress hormone called Cortisol. By having Cortisol levels increased repeatedly, your body goes into a natural fight or flight mode. Meaning the brains main purpose is only to survive and focuses on crucial body functions such as breathing, primary mind and body function.

Sadly our hair growth goals are not in fight or flight mode that our body is now engaging with (very bad news right?). This means that when we're in this mode and not letting up to heal (getting good sleep), our body stops putting in effort to grow hair, get decent blood flow to our scalps, faces and anything else that is non essential to plainly surviving. 

How to help sleep deprived hair;

Don't all just stop scrolling and jump into bed at once haha!! While the great news is, this isn't permanent hair loss (insert happy dance), the tricky part is now you need to nourish your body, and not just with sleep, to get your hair back on track!

Don't fret though! We have some key factors that should get your hair growing lush again after being so sleep deprived. 

1. Healthy sleep patten; making sure that you're getting a decent amount of hours of sleep every night. Sleeping hours vary from adult to adult, however it's recommended that 7-9 hours a night is what's needed for your brain to properly function and stimulate hair growth. A healthy sleep pattern also refers to the conditions of sleep you have. Making sure your mattress is a little firmer, your pillow gives your neck the right support and you don't get interrupted sleep. 

2. Getting active; by getting a little more active than usual, your body gets tired and it's overall easier to get a nice fresh sleep. Not to mention exercise gets your body and blood pumping, which is amazing for hair growth stimulation! Walking for 20-30 mins a day is always a healthy start! 

3. Fuel your body; we need to be eating good food to fuel our bodies and in return our bodies will love us back. Some of the BEST foods for hair growth are; eggs, sweet potatoes, nuts, spinach, avocados and protein meats. Eating regularly 3-4 times daily, and not going to bed hungry, will help aid in hair growth. 

4. Healthy hair care; establishing a good hair care routine with good products will nourish your hair and keep it healthy. We recommend using a hair serum regularly to hydrate your ends and give your hair the love and nutrients it needs to grow!

Check out our killer hair care serums to get you on track for your healthy hair goals.

Best hair styles to sleep in;

Some of us love to sleep with our hair up, and others like to sleep with their hair free. But what's the best hairstyle to sleep in? From our research, it's best to either sleep with your hair out but out of the way, or in a loose hair-do.

Benefits of sleeping with your hair out;

By sleeping with your hair free you eliminate any pulling or tugging directly to your scalp. If you do choose to sleep with your hair out and have hair well past your shoulder length, we recommend flipping it above your pillow so you don't roll around on it and cause any friction damage. 

Benefits of sleeping with your hair up;

The best style to sleep with other than having your hair out, would be in a very loose plait or braid. This style is one of the most protective ways to sleep with your hair, because it completely eliminates any friction caused by sleeping on your mane. Just remember not to pull it tight! Never done a braid before? We have a super easy video to help you out! Click here.

Let's get some good Z's tonight shall we?