The answer to this frequently asked question is no. Your sleeping position whether it be on your side or back doesn't stop nutrients from getting to your scalp.
The human body produces the hormone melatonin. This hormone has been confirmed by researchers to regulate the sleep cycle and increase hair growth. While sleep has a direct impact on the human body's natural hormones, it means that poor sleep reduces the amount of melatonin, potentially cause hair loss.
Unfortunately Lack of sleep is one of the contributing factors to your hair fall problems. Amongst the many hair fall reasons lack of sleep definitely is in the top ten.
Hair loss caused by a lack of sleep is rarely permanent, however, regrowth can depend upon the type of hair loss condition. Sleep deprivation is a form of stress and stress is known to affect hair loss.
The hair loss is temporary, and should return to its pre-effluvium density, although this process is generally slow. It can take months (but generally less than 6) before the shedding stops, and then months to years for lost hair to grow back at the sluggish rate of ~½ inch per month.
The way that sleep affects your body's natural hormones is probably the most important part of preventing hair loss. Your body produces a hormone called melatonin. This hormone helps your body regulate your sleep cycle, and it also has been shown to increase hair growth.
There are a variety of methods available for the regrowth of hair follicles, from using medication to massaging your scalp to stimulate your hair directly. Currently, the most effective way to reactivate your hair follicles is by using medication, such as finasteride and minoxidil.
Leaving your long hair open while sleeping can increase frizziness and cause hair loss eventually. “Tying your hair tightly can damage your hair roots and cause traction alopecia [1]. Hence, you need to wear your hair in a loose ponytail or braid which does not apply much pulling force on your scalp,” says Dr.
Telogen effluvium.
In telogen effluvium (TEL-o-jun uh-FLOO-vee-um), significant stress pushes large numbers of hair follicles into a resting phase. Within a few months, affected hairs might fall out suddenly when simply combing or washing your hair.
Only riboflavin, biotin, folate, and vitamin B12 deficiencies have been associated with hair loss.
Possible causes of hair loss include stress, poor diet, and underlying medical conditions. Everyone experiences hair shedding, and it happens to each of us every day. Most people lose 50 to 100 hairs per day as part of this natural cycle, more on days you wash your hair.
Hair falls out every day as part of the body's natural renewal cycle. The American Academy of Dermatology note that it is normal for a person to lose about 50–100 hairs each day. Each hair follicle goes through a cycle that includes a growth stage (anagen) and a rest stage (telogen) before the hair falls out.
But since your metabolism slows down at night, so does your hair growth, explains Waldman. Goddard adds that the primetime hair growing hours are between 10-11 a.m. and 2-4 p.m.
More significant hair loss can be caused by a number of factors — alopecia, chemotherapy, hereditary baldness, childbirth, stress — but your pillowcase doesn't have anything to do with it. “Whether it's cotton or silk, the pillowcase you sleep on at night doesn't influence your hair loss in any way,” Fox says.
Physical activity paired with balanced nutrition keeps your body healthy, and your hair is a reflection of your health. According to LiveStrong, regular exercise may prevent some forms of hair loss, because it improves blood flow to your scalp.
There isn't a sleeping position that promotes or prevents hair loss. Unfortunately, there isn't a sleeping position for hair growth, either. If you're a side-sleeper, stomach-sleeper or prefer to sleep on your back, you can literally rest assured in the position you like best.
Sleeping with your hair down seems like the most natural way to go but can actually be doing more harm than good, especially for those with long hair. "Never go to bed without tying your hair up (for long hair), as loose hair can tangle.
The way you take care of your body is also important when it comes to hair growth stimulation. To promote hair growth, you need to increase your protein intake, especially by consuming food like fish, beans, nuts, and whole grains. Hair follicles are mostly made of protein, and the lack of it promotes hair loss.
Severe dehydration may even accelerate hair loss. If you notice your hair beginning to thin or fall out in larger quantities than usual, increasing your daily water and vitamin intake should help. It's also beneficial to use a moisturizing conditioner and avoid blow drying your hair until its moisture content improves.
Getting the recommended 7-9 hours of quality sleep every night is vital to maintaining a full and healthy head of hair.
Hair loss may occasionally be caused by lack of protein in the diet. Some people who go on crash diets that exclude protein or who have abnormal eating habits may develop protein malnutrition. When this happens, the body will help save protein by shifting growing hairs into the resting phase.