A lack of sleep can impact everything from your mental clarity to your energy level\u2014but did you know it can also have an impact on your hair health? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact, if you’re someone who’s struggling with hair loss already, sleep deprivation can make it even worse. This is primarily due to the impact sleep has on lots of other body systems, including your hormone levels (specifically human growth hormones<\/a>) that allow your body to heal itself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To learn more about the connection between sleep and hair loss, we spoke with William Gaunitz, certified trichologist, fellow of the World Society of Trichologists, and founder of Advanced Trichology<\/a>, as well as William Slator, chemical engineer, product designer, and founder of Hairguard<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For starters, Gaunitz explains exactly what role sleep plays when it comes to hair health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhile you sleep, your body does the vast majority of its repair and stabilization,\u201d he says. \u201cIf you’re getting less than six hours of sleep per night on average, you’re probably causing disruptions in different organ systems including your adrenals, thyroid, and standard neurological patterns.” When these organs are out of balance, says Gaunitz, this can lead to hair shedding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Slator adds that sleep loss can result in higher stress, which is also linked to hair loss. One study even found\u00a0that women who regularly experience high stress levels are\u00a0up to 11 times more likely<\/a>\u00a0to experience some amount of hair loss.\u00a0(Here’s why you shouldn’t sleep on wet hair<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n For those with sleep apnea<\/a>, the hair loss problem can be a bit more complex. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDue to the disruptions in oxygen blood levels and sleep disruptions caused by sleep apnea, it certainly could have a ripple effect that would lead to inflammatory hair loss,\u201d explains Gaunitz. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It makes sense, especially because sleep apnea causes people to regularly miss out on quality sleep. It’s also been proven that regular sleep loss can expedite the onset of male pattern baldness<\/a> or even worsen the severity of other genetically-inherited hair diagnoses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Luckily, there are some easy things you can do to improve both your sleep quality and hair health. Below, Gaunitz and Slator weigh in with some ideas: <\/p>\n\n\n\nCan lack of sleep cause hair loss?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Can sleep apnea cause hair loss?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How can you improve your sleep and prevent hair loss?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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