A thinning hairline has become a perpetual problem for everyone in today’s stressful life, with no exception to the younger generation. Ironically, we are largely responsible for our depleting crowning glory because the lifestyle that we have adapted, does not work well towards favorable physical health. Prolonged lack of restful sleep, working late hours, handling too much stress, all of these have become an inevitable part of our competitive lifestyle. The price that we pay for this is a compromise on our health and well being, hair loss being one of its primary symptoms.
Having said so, there seems close connectivity between stress that leads to lack of sleep, which in turn results in hair loss due to reduced capacity for normal hair functioning. The process of hair growth gets stimulated only when a person gets proper sleep and leads a stress-free life.
Let us now find out how sleep and hair loss problems are inversely proportional to each other.
How lack of sleep affects hair loss
Improper, insufficient, and irregular sleeping habits have been long known to have a significant negative impact on the human body which can directly or indirectly lead to hair loss conditions over time. The root cause of not getting a peaceful night’s sleep is the increasing levels of stress which disturbs mental peace and hence causes hair problems.
Studies have proven that scalp tension and stress go hand in hand, thereby creating a direct impact on the increasing baldness amongst both the sexes in today’s fast-moving world.
Now, if we look at it from another angle, our body undergoes numerous cycles when it is resting/sleeping. This stands responsible for promoting stem cell activity that generates epithelial cells for hair growth.
Researches suggest that the growth of hair is greatly influenced by the release of hormones, cytokines and neurotransmitters during stress. Unhealthy hair growth and hair loss take place when the hair follicles and hair growth cycle are considerably impacted by stress. However, the internal circadian clock stands responsible for adult stem cell activities and for orchestrating the proliferation of hair growth cycle. This study further reveals that if an organism’s sleep cycle is disrupted, it can play a pivotal role in disturbing the biological functions that take place within a hair follicle where hair growth gets initiated.
Hence, it can be rightly stated that lack of sleep disrupts the normal functioning of a human body, thereby reducing overall physical health and wellness to a great extent.
Inversely, lacking sleep can also be a significant source of stress and hence hair loss. It can trigger the advent of genetically influenced hair loss like female pattern hair loss or male pattern baldness.
How to improve sleep in an attempt to keep your hair intact
There is nothing that does not have remedies or scope to improve. The same applies to hair problems as well. A better sleep regime can not only restrict hair fall but can also prove beneficial in improving your overall health. Eliminating stress and providing your body with the rest that it requires to re-establish itself every morning is the best way to curb hair loss.
However, since, stress reduction is the mantra to good sleep, here are some tips for handling stress and thereby sleeping better in order to keep your hair intact.
- Get plenty of rest
Before your body chemistry gets thrown off balance due to lack of sleep, thereby causing hair loss, ensure to get at least 7–8 hours of regular sleep every night. However, to help you improve your sleep quality, avoid doing anything stimulating just before bedtime, avoid screen-time at least one hour before hitting the bed and stop yourself from consuming caffeine later in the day.
2. Mattress and pillows
Choosing the right mattress and comfortable pillows can promote sleep quality to a large extent. Pillows that appropriately support your neck and head and a mattress that provides adequate support should be of prime priority when selecting your sleep equipment and paraphernalia. This would not only improve your sleep pattern but would also prove to be a stress-buster which in turn would contribute towards checking upon your hair loss.
3. Use relaxation techniques
To further alleviate stress and improve upon your sleeping routine, you can try relaxation techniques like meditation, breathing exercises, aromatherapy, or even guided imagery. These alternative healing methods can reduce stress levels by easing tension off your head. Doing so would improve sleep quality and even hair loss.
4. Nutrition
Using a high-protein diet in your daily regime like nuts, lean meat, fatty fish like salmon, etc. that are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids can be extremely beneficial in reducing stress and thereby hair quality.
5. Massage
Increasing blood circulation to the scalp through massage can decrease stress, improve sleep patterns, and prevent hair fall. Rubbing essential oils, like sage, rosemary, lavender, thyme, and cedarwood are the best methods to handle stress, sleep, and hair problems.
Final Take
The importance of sleep can, in no manner, be understated. Hair loss and sleep are seen to be connected on multiple levels. Evidence has proven that lack of sleep can accelerate hair loss with the primary mechanism being built-up stress levels. Everything, from poor sleep to conditions like sleep apnea and circadian cycles, can affect hair quality drastically. Recognising them and dealing with them at the right time and in the right manner is what can curb this ratio.
There are many simple ways to address sleep and hair loss problems like changing sleep patterns, adjusting lifestyle issues, making minor changes in your daily regime and so on. Sleeping on the right mattress and pillows also improves sleep quality and helps in addressing hair loss problems. For the best quality mattress and pillows, you can logon to the official website of Wakefit, the best online mattress and mattress protector brand.
However, if the problem of losing sleep over hair loss persists, do not hesitate to seek medical assistance to treat your stress levels, erratic sleep patterns and your uncontrollable hair loss issues.
