Does Lack of Sleep Cause Hair Loss?

It’s no secret that failing to get enough quality sleep on a regular basis can negatively affect your overall health and wellness. But can the consequences of poor sleep include hair loss, too?

Research suggests that there could be a connection between lost sleep and hair loss, but the link may be indirect. The two conditions share some common risk factors, such as poor mental health, stress, and underlying medical challenges. 

Let’s take a look at the potential link between sleeplessness and hair health. We’ll also discuss science-backed hacks for hair restoration and better sleep.

It’s well established that sleeplessness can affect your appearance — after all, there’s a reason the term “beauty sleep” exists.

But can sleep deprivation cause hair loss? If it can, why does lack of sleep affect hair loss?

No current research shows that a single night of lost sleep will have any effect on your scalp. However, some research suggests an association between hair loss and poor sleep quality and quantity.

For example, a 2022 study of 102 adults — half with alopecia areata (AA) and half with no hair loss conditions — suggests a complex connection between AA and poor sleep may exist. The researchers noted that insufficient sleep can be a trigger for several autoimmune disorders, and that AA tends to accompany other autoimmune conditions, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. In other words, not getting enough quality sleep may bring on flare-ups for more than one autoimmune disorder, including AA.

The study findings also suggest that having AA can contribute to stress, anxiety, and depression, all of which can lead to sleep disturbances. All this sets up a vicious cycle of hair loss interfering with sleep, which in turn may lead to further hair loss.

A separate 2020 study of over 1,800 people with female pattern hair loss (aka androgenetic alopecia, the same disorder as male pattern hair loss) found that poor sleep quality correlated with an increase in participants’ rate of hair loss.

The researchers found that those with poorer sleep quality (as well as increased alcohol intake, frequent ponytail hairstyles, and oilier scalps) were more likely to suffer more severe hair loss.

Now, these studies didn’t draw the conclusion that sleep itself was the determining factor for hair problems. As the authors emphasized sleep quality is often associated with other factors like stress levels, mood disorders, and even autoimmune disorders.

Which is exactly the issue. Though sleep deprivation itself might not trigger hair loss, both issues could be symptoms of another problem.

Let’s dig in deeper to understand the potential relationship between lack of sleep and hair loss.

In the same way stress can cause sleeplessness, it might lead to hair loss.

There’s a well-known link between stress and hair loss. Although high levels of stress can’t cause male pattern hair loss, it can trigger, and potentially worsen, a type of temporary hair loss called telogen effluvium.

A 2023 study of 1,080 men and women suggests that several causes of hair loss, including telogen effluvium, may be related to psychological stress (relationship problems, financial worries, etc.) and/or physiological stress (high fever, chronic illness, etc.).

When you’re chronically stressed, you’ll have chronically high cortisol levels. Cortisol, known as the stress hormone, has been linked to, among other conditions, poor hair health. How so? Elevated cortisol levels can affect hair follicles and disrupt the hair growth cycle.

Telogen effluvium can also be triggered by:

• Severe shock

• Traumatic events

• Surgery

• Severe blood loss

• Major illnesses and infections

• Pregnancy and childbirth

…all of which are stressful enough to keep you from getting some shut-eye.

Stress and sleep share a frustrating relationship: Stress can keep you up at night — and a night of  poor sleep can leave you feeling incapable of coping with stress. In fact, a recent review shows that sleeplessness can worsen stress, and vice versa. Another vicious, cruel cycle, right?

So, if you’re noticing your hair fall out after a bout of sleeplessness, ask yourself if there could be another facto at play.

If you’ve noticed an increase in hair loss and are having trouble getting enough hours of sleep, it’s possible you may be dealing with a medical problem you haven’t yet uncovered. 

As mentioned, telogen effluvium hair loss can happen a few months after experiencing severe illness or infections — both of which might affect your sleep.

But other illnesses may cause hair loss as well as sleep issues.

For example, thyroid conditions might make your hair shed significantly. Both hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) are linked to hair issues, although the link between the thyroid and hair loss isn’t fully understood.

The thyroid can also affect sleep quality and energy levels.

A 2021 study found that people with hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism may be more likely to experience sleep conditions like insomnia, restless legs syndrome (RLS), and obstructive sleep apnea.

So, if you’re struggling to get a good night’s sleep, it might be time to meet with your healthcare provider and get your thyroid hormone levels checked. A simple blood test can determine your TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) and T4 or free T4 (thyroxine) levels. Other symptoms of thyroid disease can include weight gain, fatigue, cold sensitivity, and a depressed mood, among other signs.

Ever absentmindedly pulled out some hair while sitting in traffic, stressing over a work problem or having a tense conversation with a loved one?

While this can happen to anyone, some folks have a constant, compulsive urge to pull out their hair. This is a mental health condition called trichotillomania.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related mental health conditions — including trichotillomania — are associated with sleep disorders.

A 2021 study found some potential links between sleep deprivation and trichotillomania. Those with trichotillomania were less likely to get enough hours of sleep compared to those who didn’t have the condition.

The study didn’t make it clear whether sleep could cause the condition; rather it highlighted the correlation between poor sleep habits and frequency of hair pulling.

As you can imagine, constant hair-pulling doesn’t just lead to hair breakage. It can also put a lot of pressure on your hair follicles — to the point where growth might slow down or stop altogether.

Usually, yes — but this depends on what’s causing both issues.

As previously mentioned, if there’s a link between lack of sleep and hair loss, it may be due to stress, illness, or trichotillomania. There’s a chance your hair can recover from hair loss if it’s caused by those issues.

To tackle your poor sleep and hair loss issues, it might be wise to take a three-pronged approach here: Address whatever’s causing your hair loss, use quality hair-loss treatments, and work on improving sleep patterns.

It’s best to act ASAP to figure out what’s contributing to your hair loss. We highly recommend speaking with a healthcare professional to determine what’s making your hair fall out. You may want to start with a dermatologist, preferably one with experience in diagnosing and treating hair loss problems.

You might also need to get blood tests to check for underlying illnesses or vitamin deficiencies.

From there, you can address those issues directly. This might look like:

• Taking prescription medication to manage health conditions

• Improving your diet or using supplements to boost your vitamin intake

• Using positive stress-relief methods to manage anxiety

• Seeking mental health care to cope with chronic stress or trichotillomania

• Going to trauma debriefing after a shocking or traumatic experience

It may take time for you (and your follicles) to recover after stress, illness or infection. But your hair will most likely grow back.

To speed up the hair regrowth process, you can use one or more science-backed hair loss treatments. This might include:

• Finasteride. Finasteride is an FDA-approved oral medication that reduces your body’s levels of DHT (dihydrotestosterone) — a hormone linked to male pattern baldness.

• Minoxidil. Minoxidil is an FDA-approved, over-the-counter topical treatment that can treat many types of hair loss. It’s available in the form of minoxidil foam or minoxidil liquid solution.

• Finasteride and minoxidil together. Our topical finasteride & minoxidil spray combines both science-backed treatments to stimulate hair growth.

• Supplements. Hair-friendly supplements like our biotin gummies have the nutrients your body needs to grow healthy hair.

• In-shower products. A volumizing shampoo and volumizing conditioner can breathe new life into thin, limp hair while keeping your mane healthy and clean.

• Saw palmetto shampoo. Our thickening shampoo with saw palmetto which may promote thick, healthy-looking hair. This herbal ingredient is a natural DHT blocker.

If your sleep quality is so bad right now that you’re Googling whether it’s making your hair fall out, it’s probably time to seek expert advice.

A healthcare professional might prescribe one or more of these treatment options:

• A melatonin supplement

• Histamine-1 receptor medications

• GABA-A receptor medications

They might also suggest you work on your sleep hygiene, with techniques like improving your sleep environment so it’s less stimulating (think blackout curtains and no screens). You should also try to avoid alcohol right before bed, as it can disrupt sleep, and caffeine late in the day, as it can make it harder to fall asleep. 

Exercise, especially in the morning, can provide some key benefits, including stress relief and better sleep at night.

You may also benefit from seeing a therapist who specializes in treating sleep issues, especially if your sleeplessness is stress-related.

These treatments might not improve your hairline directly, but maintaining a proper sleep schedule will certainly help you feel better overall.

A lack of sleep can send your stress hormones out of whack, and severe stress can be a contributing factor of hair loss. So in theory, logging more hours of shut-eye could help you avoid stress-induced hair loss.

But this isn’t the only piece of the puzzle — and stress isn’t the only potential cause of hair loss.

Can sleep deprivation cause hair loss? If so, why does lack of sleep cause hair loss?

Insufficient shut-eye probably won’t directly cause your hair to fall out. But getting enough sleep is an absolute necessity when it comes to maintaining your well-being — both mental and physical.

• A lack of sleep doesn’t directly cause hair loss. At least, there’s little evidence that it does. Indirectly, though, sleeplessness can worsen stress, which can, in turn, affect your hairline.

• Both sleeplessness and hair loss could be related to underlying medical conditions. Major illnesses, infections and conditions like thyroid disease can cause both hair loss and sleep issues.

• There are many evidence-based hair loss treatments to try. Most types of hair loss can be slowed down or stopped. Treatments like finasteride, minoxidil, supplements, and quality hair-care products can help.

Sleeplessness, like hair loss, can be a sign you need to make an appointment with a medical professional. Both can be symptoms of underlying conditions — and, usually, both can be treated.

If you’d like to get help from the comfort of your own home, we can connect you with a healthcare professional for an online consultation. They’ll be able to help you figure out why you’re seeing some extra hairs in the shower drain and come up with an effective treatment plan.