Our bodies need sleep to recharge so that our brain can function properly and lack of sleep interrupts the time our body needs to recharge. It's black and white. And there are hundreds of articles online that’ll tell you this in a thousand different ways. Today commences the first day of Sleep Awareness Week and for most of you it’s no news but, I wanted to hop on here and reemphasise how important (to say the least) sleep is for our body, mind and soul. And hair.
Oh and just before we dive right in, I wanted to briefly introduce myself. My name is Ronaq (pronounced like the word monarch), the newest, proud, happy member of the CENTRED family. By title, your Community Manager AKA the person who looks after each and every one of you lovely people’s questions and concerns. From hair-related advice to general questions about absolutely anything, I am your girl.
So does sleep really affect hair growth? The short answer… yes.
“One day you’ll realise why sleep is important” this was my mum’s favourite line to hit me with every single morning when she used to watch me rush to work and skip breakfast. You’ve probably heard it a 100 times before but, this is your 101st gentle reminder. A good, restorative sleep is vital for endless reasons: keeps emotions in check, improves concentration and productivity and of course, hair growth. There isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ number of hours of sleep we need but The National Sleep Foundation released figures that show adults aged between 18-65 should get an average of 7-9 hours per evening. Sounds about right. 8 hours of sleep is an absolute dream for me. I used to often find myself debating whether I should have more sleep or spend that time doing my hair. A top tip to take those extra “10 minutes more” (which turn into 10, 20, 30) and hit snooze in the morning and also have beautiful, healthy hair is to multitask… in your sleep. Yep, you can multitask in your sleep. Not exactly how Cara Delavigne and Adele get dolled in their sleep (I know, I wish too) but we’re running with a similar theme. I’m here today to show why you won’t ever need to choose between a good hair day and a good night’s sleep. Let’s start off with the root and then we’ll get to the mane course.
Good sleep and Hair Growth: The Science
A good night’s sleep is necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle and not getting enough sleep can have an impact on the following day. Now imagine the impact overtime of continuous lack of sleep. Amongst multiple other causes, sleep deprivation also causes hair loss. The simplest way to put it: just the way our skin produces collagen to keep it plump, through protein synthesis, our hair produces a hormone called Melatonin which regulates our hair growth cycle. This being interrupted can cause our hair to become dry, dull, brittle and prone to breakage.
Small changes, Big difference
POV: You’ve taken the plunge. You’ve bought the hair oil claiming it’ll put a complete stop to hair fall, you’ve switched your shampoo and conditioner promising it’ll promote hair growth and you’ve had supplements. You’ve tried everything. You take a big sigh and you’re wondering why “nothing works”. You feel like you have been sold dreams. Wakey, wakey! The truth is, it works. It all works but in unison. You’re on the right track, so don’t give up! It’s the small changes paired with being consistent that’ll make the biggest difference. A good night’s sleep will for sure help maintain hair quality and growth but unfortunately, it is not the panacea for all our hair-ssues. No one thing is. In light of Sleep Awareness Week, here are some changes that require minimal effort. But how? because you’re doing them in your sleep. Give this a go:
Satin pillowcase – try switching your cotton pillow case to a Satin pillowcase. As you're tossing and turning at night your hair rubs against the fibres of your cotton case. And when you move, this damages your hair. Satin is kinder to your hair and won’t cause breakage. Trust me, once you go satin, you never go cotton.
Protective hairstyles – feed two birds with one scone. Try these win-win overnight hairstyles to save time doing your hair in the morning, protect your hair and promote hair growth.
- Loose French plaits.
Split your hair and put it in two loose French plaits. This will protect your hair from all the friction from tossing and turning in your sleep, causing excessive breakage. In the morning, take the plaits out and spray some Unwind Detangling Primer all over and scrunch upwards with your hands to enhance your waves. The bonus? You’ll wake up to the dreamiest mermaid waves.
- Twisted rope braid
French plaits can be a bittt tricky for some of us so here’s an easier one. Put your hair up in a ponytail and split your hair in two sections. Twist each section individually tightly and tie the end with a small rubber band. Once you have two twisted sections, intertwine the two sections and tie at the end with a hairband. Take your luscious locks out the rope braids and brace yourself for beautiful, no-heat overnight curls.
Quick tips to get better sleep:
- Put your phone away at least 30 minutes before bed and switch to a podcast (my current favourite one is Healing Is The New High)
- Aim for at least 7-9 hours of sleep
- Stick to a sleep schedule
- Apply our En Root Scalp Treatment and give yourself a head massage to help lower cortisol levels
- Take a relaxing hot bath or shower
- Drink a chamomile herbal tea to help calm the nervous system
And remember from before, keep it consistent. Prioritise yourself. Your mind, body and soul will thank you.
Thanks so much for dropping by. I can’t wait to share my holy grail tip next week on the best way to massage your scalp. I hope you have a great week and catch up on some much-needed sleep. Sweet dreams!
PS: If you have absolutely any hair related questions at all, slide right into my Email via hello@wearecentred.com and I'll be happy to help, as always.
