We’ve all heard the phrase ‘beauty sleep.’ But it’s not just a catchy cliché, it’s an absolutely vital part of keeping you healthy. This is particularly true when it come to your hair health. For women, especially those of us combatting thin hair and hair fall, understanding the importance of a good night’s sleep and taking the steps to make it happen can work wonders for our locks. Here’s why beauty sleep is so essential for our hair, and how to get the rest we all need.
What Happens To Us When We Sleep?
When we are asleep, our bodies enter repair mode. The sleep cycle is primarily when cells regenerate and grow, with the rate of cell division increasing. The same is true of the cells at the roots of your hair. Sleep is also the time where helpful hair health hormones like melatonin and human growth hormone are released. The body’s metabolic rate also slows, which helps you better absorb key nutrients from your diet. When we’re at rest, blood flow increases to the skin and scalp, delivering these nutrients and oxygen, nourishing our hair follicles. No wonder sleep is so essential for our hair!
How Poor Sleep Impacts Our Hair
Poor sleep triggers many negative effects on hair health. When we have inadequate rest, one of the most immediate effects is an increase in cortisol, the stress hormone. Stress is highly damaging to hair as it can push hair follicle stem cells into a resting phase, which prevents new hair growth. This inevitably leads to increased hair shedding too. When you sleep well, your body regulates cortisol better. Blood flow is also compromised by poor sleep, which mean less nutrients and oxygen get to your hair follicles. The result is weakened hair strands, which break and shed more readily than well nourished follicles.
And poor sleep also plays havoc with your metabolism, meaning your body is less able to absorb all those vital nutrients from your diet. When you’re not rested, you’re looking at a recipe for hair disaster – thinner and weaker hair, shedding and poor growth.
How To Boost Hair Health Through Sleep
We all know how important good sleep is to our overall health, but millions of us don’t get enough of it. A recent study found that only 33% of respondents were getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep at night! Here are some great tips to get the beauty sleep so essential for our hair.
Get A Regular Routine:
Your aim should be 7-9 hours each night. Organise your day so you go to bed at the same time every night and stick to it. A consistent approach is the key to achieving this.
Sleep In The Right Environment:
Sounds obvious, but many of us try and sleep in places that simply aren’t conducive to rest. Keep any lights to a minimum and eliminate noise as much as possible. Invest in blinds and curtains to filter out outside light and use comfortable ear plugs if needed!
Screen Time
Screens and sleep are not a good mix. Turn the TV off well in advance of hitting the sack – they emit blue light frequencies which are known to trigger hormones and disrupt sleep. And stop looking at your phone! Far too many of us use the time we go to bed to check our social media, or catch up on emails etc. But all this does is stimulate our brain when we should be settling down to sleep. Stopping screen time an hour before bed will work wonders!
De-stress
Relaxing before going to bed is always a great way to get the sleep you need. Meditate, gentle stretching and using breathing exercises all help you to wind down. Reading a book (avoid gripping thrillers though!) is also a good way to prepare you for a restful night.
Hair Gain – Complementing Beauty Sleep
Beauty sleep is essential for our hair, but the journey to achieving beautiful, strong, and lustrous locks needs a holistic approach. Combining great sleep with great hair supplements can unlock the door to the healthy, gorgeous hair we all want. Hair Gain’s award-winning Hair Capsules and Hair Gummies are scientifically formulated to support healthy hair from within. Packed with the exclusive AnaGain™ ingredient, and blended with key hair vitamins and minerals, these amazing supplements are designed to deliver visibly fuller and thicker hair in just 3 months of use.
And while you look after your hair from the inside – use our intensely hydrating and nourishing Hair Mask and new Scalp Foam to give your locks the support they need on the outside too!
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