YOUR NATURAL HAIR NEEDS THIS

You know the common motif saying “I’ll sleep when I die?” We pride ourselves on how much we can fit in the day. The perception is that if we get too much sleep, then we must not be working hard enough. This is a myth and one we that we must stop perpetuating. The fact is, if you are not sleeping then you are not functioning at an optimum level. How much sleep you get directly affects your work performance, your memory, your overall health, and so much more. Sleep is your body’s time to heal and recuperate. How can we be our best selves when we’ve had no sleep?

Our favorite founder and CEO, Gwen, was recently asked to share how much sleep she gets as a mompreneur. Here’s what she had to say:

How much sleep she gets: 5 to 6 hours

Daily schedule: “I start at 7 a.m. because my son has to be at school by 8:48 a.m. and my office opens at 10 a.m. So I get up at 7 to give me enough time to shower, make breakfast, get him up and prepare him for an awesome day. Then I’m off to the office. Because I go to bed so late, my body’s internal clock will not physically allow me to get up earlier. I’ve tried. Even if I set the clock for earlier, I don’t even hear it. Now, if I go to bed earlier, at 10:30 p.m. — when I prefer — then I’m easily able to get up at 5 a.m.!

How sleep impacts life and work: “I’m a mom, a partner, and I own a company with a staff of 13 people. I’m pulled in hundreds of directions a day and my attention is often diverted throughout with other responsibilities, requests and questions. I’ve noticed that I am far more productive and efficient when I get a full eight hours of sleep. On the days when I can get 10 hours, I’m unstoppable. That’s why I’m working to be much more intentional with my time and unplug by 10 p.m. each night.”

Gwen will be the first to tell you that having a full night’s rest is one of the most valuable aspects of your health, if for no other reason than your hair!

“By the age of fifty, 50% of men and 40% of women will experience androgenetic alopecia (male and female-pattern hair loss), while many others every year suffer from some other form of hair loss.” -Tuck. Not getting adequate amounts of sleep can exacerbate these numbers and have a huge negative impact on the health of your hair in several ways, including:

Brittleness

Stunted hair growth

Thinning hair and hair loss

Dullness

We are always talking about being consistent with your hair routine -- the weekly washes, hot oil treatments, deep conditioning, apple cider vinegar rinses, protein treatments, the night routine, the morning routine. All of this is critical, but none of it will matter if you’re not taking proper care of yourself from the inside out. So, #goodhairgoals get accomplished with 6-8 hours of sleep every night, eating healthy, and maintaining that tried and true routine.

Let us know how many hours of sleep you get in the comments below!

Hey! Check out our recent feature in the BlackHairOMG blog on hair porosity.