Sleep and Hair Growth: Is There a Connection?

We all know how important it is to rest properly at night and the many health impacts it has. Sleep is important for your skin, your internal organs, your energy level and even your mental health. So, is it really a surprise when we say that it also affects your hair health?

Even though there’s some debate over the link between sleep and hair health, there have been a few studies which explore the connection between poor sleep and hair fall. The main cause behind this is stress, which can affect the hair growth cycle, possibly leading to hair fall.

Now that you got the basics down, let’s take a look at the connection between sleep and hair growth.

Sleep and hair growth - what’s the link?

The human growth hormone (HGH) is released when the body experiences normal sleep cycles. Hair growth follows a cycle that works according to your body’s circadian rhythm. The HGH hormone influences your hair’s growth cycle, especially in the later stages.

So, getting a good night’s sleep is imperative to the release of this hormone, which ultimately affects your hair growth. Furthermore, the epithelial hair follicle stem cells get active after your body enters the sleep phase, contributing to hair growth.

Your body also produces the hormone called melatonin, which is responsible for regulating the sleep cycle and aiding in hair growth. In addition, sleep helps you manage your stress levels, which reduces stress-related hair loss and thinning. 

Does the lack of sleep cause hair loss?

For all the above-mentioned reasons, sleep is tied to hair loss. Sleeping less lowers your body’s hormone levels, thus affecting your hair growth. The production of HGH and melatonin are affected by disrupted sleep cycles and potentially causes thinning hair.

A lack of sleep also hinders the epithelial cells from doing their job, resulting in hair fall. Further, when you don’t get enough sleep, your body’s stress level rises. The stress hormone can mess up your hair’s growth cycle, pushing it to the shedding phase prematurely.

Stress has been shown to trigger female pattern hair loss, which is usually genetic but can be triggered by sleep deprivation. In order to keep your body’s stress levels down, you must get a good night’s sleep of about 8 hours.

Can you regrow your hair back after sleep deprivation?

Fortunately, hair loss due to sleep deprivation is usually reversible. As the cortisol (stress hormone) levels go back to normal, the body starts to function normally and your hair grows back.

The best way to achieve this is by correcting your sleep cycle, as a result of which, the normal bodily functions are restored. As stress goes down and the other necessary hormones for hair growth begin to be released, your hair starts to grow back.

And, what about too much sleep? Does that cause hair loss?

It’s a good question, really, and one that has many studies to answer it. While people have studied the relationship between oversleeping (hypersomnia) and hair loss, there has been no indication that the two are related.

How do you manage your hair while sleeping?

Apart from getting good sleep, it’s also important to manage your hair as you sleep so you don’t accidentally tug at it or make it frizzy from too much friction. There are a few ways you can manage your hair as you sleep and all of them are effective.

• Wear a headband - This works best if you have short hair, as you can wrap your hair in a soft, silk headband and go to sleep. This reduces friction against your bedding and also keeps your hair in place as you sleep.

• Braid your hair - Loose braids are wonderful for your hair as they reduce the surface area, and thereby friction, while you keep your hair out of your face and neck and sleep more peacefully.

• Make a bun - A loose bun is another option and works well for mid-length hair. All you need to do is tie your hair in a bun as loosely as you can without it coming apart and just go to sleep. This will keep your hair in place and give you soft waves in the morning.

Is there anything you can do to aid hair growth?

While sleeping an appropriate amount may help you grow your hair, hair loss can be due to other factors as well - like a biotin deficiency in your body. Try the Carmesi 100% Plant-Based Biotin to improve your hair health and also promote hair growth.

It’s derived from the Sesbania tree and is a 100% vegan source of biotin. It improves your hair growth, controls hair fall, restores elasticity to your strands and also helps reduce dandruff.