Health Issues Male Pattern Baldness & Sleep Deprivation

[Jools Holland]

I think my male pattern baldness is progressing because of chronic sleep deprivation (white noise machines and earplugs don't help with the noise).

My male pattern baldness started progressing rapidly (after it had stopped for 1.5 years) a few days into the shutdown in March last year and hasn't stopped except for a two week interval near the end of last year. I think at first it was because of a combination of consuming waaaay too much salt, and sleep deprivation from being unable to sleep through noise. Now I'm consuming a normal amount of salt but I still can't sleep and I think it's causing my hairline to recede so quickly. (The parts that protrude from the side towards the eyebrows have completely disappeared in one year so it's just a flat line on the sides of my head and no hair on the temples anymore, in addition to the "M" shape at the front. I presume it's started falling out at the back but I can't see yet because my hair is too long to see at the moment.

I'm pretty sure it's because I'm repeatedly woken up by the absolute tiniest noise. I wear custom molded earplugs that have multiple layers of silicon to block out more noise and live in a quiet area but the problem is that I repeatedly get woken up by people moving round the house late at night or early in the morning. White noise machines don't help and just make the problem worse. Sleep hygiene/stimulus control also makes no difference.
This wasn't a problem before the shutdown because even when getting woken up by my flatmates in the morning, they would leave for work quickly so I could get the remaining sleep once they left. But because of COVID people just constantly stay home all the time and it's impossible with the noise they make (walking on floorboards, shutting cupboards/microwaves/doors, etc.)

I think it would be fine if I only needed 7 or 8 hours but the problem is I need ten when every place I try the other people only need about 7 or 8 hours, so it's impossible to get 10 hours sleep because other people are awake either side of when I go to sleep and when I'm trying to get my last few hours. And even getting 7 or 8 is dependent on going to sleep at exactly the same time as them. If I don't feel tired and can't get to sleep until a few hours later, that means I only get around 5 or 6. The amount of sleep I get is completely at the whim of other people's schedules. I can tell when I'm sleep-deprived upon getting out of bed and throughout the day I constantl have this sick-looking, pale colour to my face and deep blue lines under my eyes, both of which I used to get when I would stay up all night (back when I slept well).

People suggest a studio apartment but that doesn't help because I get woken in apartments from people above and below me.

Meditation doesn't help. I might try doing more exercise but I'm not getting my hopes up.

Does anyone know any ways to help them sleep through noise? This problem has been going on with me for about 7 years now. I used to sleep through noise (unless there was something really noisy happening) without earplugs.

 

[Brian W]

Do you suffer from anxiety?

 

[Lou]

Have you tried white noise? I have these these things that cover my eyes and ears and have little bluetooth speakers in them.

If that doesn't work I would go to a doctor and get some drugs. Really good drugs would be cool. the little noises might wake you up but you wouldn't care

 

[Deleted member 3018]

Seven years. That's a long time to suffer with this. I'm sorry.
I don't know if I can help, but I can give some tips from personal experience. First of all, just like others have suggested, there is nothing wrong with getting medication. Chamomile tea is another option. Talking with a therapist might help. Even without some underlying issue like anxiety, just worrying about your problems might increase and intensify your alertness during the time you are trying to rest.
If you drink coffee, decaf would be better option. Walking also helps, there are walking videos on YouTube, which have become increasingly popular during COVID. Dancing is a good option if walking seems boring.
I'm still going to also suggest meditation, even though you said that it doesn't help. There are all kinds of meditations that you still could try if you are up to that. Some sleep talk downs with positive affirmations are also powerful with letting go of stress and finding peace within yourself.
I like to do good night yoga (basically just some gentle and slow yoga, not like something crazy headstands) whilst listening to chanting, like Namo Avalokiteshvara while concentrating on having compassion towards myself and others, afterwards I meditate and this routine gives me good sleep. But I'm not suffering like you are, I just have bad dreams sometimes and this routine helps me with that issue.

 

[Jools Holland]

Do you suffer from anxiety?

Not that I know of. When I used to sleep well, I would sometimes sleep really badly the nights before exams. And I think I kind of know from that how it feels when you can't sleep due to anxiety. And I don't really feel that pretty much ever now. I'll usually go to sleep completely relaxed.

 

[Jools Holland]

Have you tried white noise? I have these these things that cover my eyes and ears and have little bluetooth speakers in them.

If that doesn't work I would go to a doctor and get some drugs. Really good drugs would be cool. the little noises might wake you up but you wouldn't care

Yes. I understand that it helps a lot of people but for me it just makes the problem worse. Any noise keeps me awake, even if it's a constant noise.

I have the same problem with fans. The constant feeling of a breeze on my body will just repeatedly wake me up.

I'm worried about drugs because I understand you can develop a dependency on them and they can then make the problem worse when you try and go off them.

 

[Jools Holland]

Seven years. That's a long time to suffer with this. I'm sorry.
I don't know if I can help, but I can give some tips from personal experience. First of all, just like others have suggested, there is nothing wrong with getting medication. Chamomile tea is another option. Talking with a therapist might help. Even without some underlying issue like anxiety, just worrying about your problems might increase and intensify your alertness during the time you are trying to rest.
If you drink coffee, decaf would be better option. Walking also helps, there are walking videos on YouTube, which have become increasingly popular during COVID. Dancing is a good option if walking seems boring.
I'm still going to also suggest meditation, even though you said that it doesn't help. There are all kinds of meditations that you still could try if you are up to that. Some sleep talk downs with positive affirmations are also powerful with letting go of stress and finding peace within yourself.
I like to do good night yoga (basically just some gentle and slow yoga, not like something crazy headstands) whilst listening to chanting, like Namo Avalokiteshvara while concentrating on having compassion towards myself and others, afterwards I meditate and this routine gives me good sleep. But I'm not suffering like you are, I just have bad dreams sometimes and this routine helps me with that issue.

Yes, I've had nightmares almost every night for like 6 months straight now, lol. So maybe the same thing causing the nightmares is causing the repeatedly waking up to noise.

I'm pretty sedentary at the moment. (I thought I might have a sodium problem and was therefore not doing anything that could cause any intense level of sweating). But I don't have to worry about this now and so can try and get more exercise. In the past I've noticed that exercise makes the problem worse, but that might just be because recently when i would exercise I would take an even more obscene amount of salt. So maybe now I'm not consuming so much salt the exercise may actually help.

 

[Deleted member 3018]

I forgot to mention some tips. Again, I don't know if these help or not.
1. Sleeping with someone. I don't mean anything inappropriate. I mean that when you sleep in a same room with someone, you can feel more secure and relaxed. This is how you feel less alarmed. When I was a kid, in our house it wasn't secure to sleep. All kinds of drunkards were making a lot of noise all trough out the night. I would sleep on the floor in my brothers room to protect him and to make myself to feel secure as well.
Cat or a dog is just as good as a human companion.
2. Where we get to: sleep on the floor (on a yoga mat or futon). When you sleep on a too soft mattress, your body gets stiff and your mind is connected to your body.
3. Sleeping outside with nature. At first it can be scary and distracting with all the sounds of the nature, but over time you'll get accustomed and noises won't bother you anymore.
4. Going to sleep on a empty stomach. Some people, who don't do much exercise, do fasting and won't eat anything after noon. I need a dinner, but I eat it early, like 5-6 pm and go to sleep 10-11 pm. The reason to go to bed hungry is that you gain more deeper sleep and your body can rest better.

 

[Deleted member 3018]

Yes, I've had nightmares almost every night for like 6 months straight now, lol. So maybe the same thing causing the nightmares is causing the repeatedly waking up to noise.

I'm pretty sedentary at the moment. (I thought I might have a sodium problem and was therefore not doing anything that could cause any intense level of sweating). But I don't have to worry about this now and so can try and get more exercise. In the past I've noticed that exercise makes the problem worse, but that might just be because recently when i would exercise I would take an even more obscene amount of salt. So maybe now I'm not consuming so much salt the exercise may actually help.

Oh damn. I'm sorry to hear that you have nightmares as well. I really hope that you find something that helps.
I sometimes also get awaken by nightmares. The positive affirmations that I sometimes make before going to sleep, help with that because the last thing you think before going to sleep is the first thing you think about when you wake up. I'm like scared out of my mind and be like "I'm resilient beyond measure, I find peace within myself" lol
But maybe your subconsciousness is trying to tell you something. Going into therapy or keeping a journal might help.
And as a contrast, spending less time on worrying and more time on your body might help too. Walking, dancing, doing yoga, meditation etc.

 

[Jools Holland]

Where we get to: sleep on the floor (on a yoga mat or futon). When you sleep on a too soft mattress, your body gets stiff and your mind is connected to your body.

I've been sleeping on firm mattresses most of the last few years. For a few months a few years ago I slept on a softer mattress. The last few months I have been sleeping on a soft mattress as well. It doesn't make a difference.

Sleeping with someone. I don't mean anything inappropriate. I mean that when you sleep in a same room with someone, you can feel more secure and relaxed. This is how you feel less alarmed. When I was a kid, in our house it wasn't secure to sleep. All kinds of drunkards were making a lot of noise all trough out the night. I would sleep on the floor in my brothers room to protect him and to make myself to feel secure as well.
Cat or a dog is just as good as a human companion.

I slept with a dog on my bed recently. (I usually never do this). It just made the problem a million times worse because every time it moved or touched me I would wake up. When I got out of bed in the morning I felt like I had barely slept.

Sleeping outside with nature. At first it can be scary and distracting with all the sounds of the nature, but over time you'll get accustomed and noises won't bother you anymore.

I think this would just make the problem worse because the noises would be even louder. And even if this did help I don't really see how it would be feasible to do this the rest of my life.

Going to sleep on a empty stomach. Some people, who don't do much exercise, do fasting and won't eat anything after noon. I need a dinner, but I eat it early, like 5-6 pm and go to sleep 10-11 pm. The reason to go to bed hungry is that you gain more deeper sleep and your body can rest better.

Usually my problems are with sleep maintenance rather than sleep onset but I never, ever feel tired when I go to sleep hungry. I tried this before and it is impossible to get to sleep every single time.

But maybe your subconsciousness is trying to tell you something. Going into therapy or keeping a journal might help.

I've done like 6 weeks of therapy once and another 10 or so weeks of therapy around a year later. It didn't make a difference.

 

[Jools Holland]

I'm pretty sedentary at the moment. (I thought I might have a sodium problem and was therefore not doing anything that could cause any intense level of sweating). But I don't have to worry about this now and so can try and get more exercise. In the past I've noticed that exercise makes the problem worse, but that might just be because recently when i would exercise I would take an even more obscene amount of salt. So maybe now I'm not consuming so much salt the exercise may actually help.

I just realized there were times previously when I wasn't consuming a large amount of salt where I was walking around a huge amount for several hours a day to the point where I felt quite tired and it didn't seem to make any difference to my ability to sleep through noise, so on second thought I doubt this type of thing would help.

 

[Deleted member 3018]

I'm sorry to hear that solution hasn't yet been found. Don't give up. The solution could be something completely unexpected and maybe you'll find one or several soon.
Hmm... I don't want to alarm you and don't take this too seriously. After all I am not a doctor or anything like that. But. What if the problem is something physical? Like sleep apnea?

 

[Jools Holland]

I'm sorry to hear that solution hasn't yet been found. Don't give up. The solution could be something completely unexpected and maybe you'll find one or several soon.
Hmm... I don't want to alarm you and don't take this too seriously. After all I am not a doctor or anything like that. But. What if the problem is something physical? Like sleep apnea?

I had a sleep study done and they said that they couldn't see evidence of sleep apnea. What I don't understand is that it in the report it seemed to show that there were some abnormal breathing patterns towards the end of my sleep but the specialists said that this wasn't evidence of sleep apnea.

Yes, I am mixing up what I am eating and trying now to stay hydrated throughout the day. Since I've reduced my salt intake down to a normal amount, I need to get used to bringing my water intake back to what it was in the past.

Hopefully I figure out the solution soon but I think what is most likely is that I still lose quite a lot of hair before I figure it out (if it is the sleep deprivation that's causing the hair loss).

 

[Sproutskies]

I think my male pattern baldness is progressing because of chronic sleep deprivation (white noise machines and earplugs don't help with the noise).

My male pattern baldness started progressing rapidly (after it had stopped for 1.5 years) a few days into the shutdown in March last year and hasn't stopped except for a two week interval near the end of last year. I think at first it was because of a combination of consuming waaaay too much salt, and sleep deprivation from being unable to sleep through noise. Now I'm consuming a normal amount of salt but I still can't sleep and I think it's causing my hairline to recede so quickly. (The parts that protrude from the side towards the eyebrows have completely disappeared in one year so it's just a flat line on the sides of my head and no hair on the temples anymore, in addition to the "M" shape at the front. I presume it's started falling out at the back but I can't see yet because my hair is too long to see at the moment.

I'm pretty sure it's because I'm repeatedly woken up by the absolute tiniest noise. I wear custom molded earplugs that have multiple layers of silicon to block out more noise and live in a quiet area but the problem is that I repeatedly get woken up by people moving round the house late at night or early in the morning. White noise machines don't help and just make the problem worse. Sleep hygiene/stimulus control also makes no difference.
This wasn't a problem before the shutdown because even when getting woken up by my flatmates in the morning, they would leave for work quickly so I could get the remaining sleep once they left. But because of COVID people just constantly stay home all the time and it's impossible with the noise they make (walking on floorboards, shutting cupboards/microwaves/doors, etc.)

I think it would be fine if I only needed 7 or 8 hours but the problem is I need ten when every place I try the other people only need about 7 or 8 hours, so it's impossible to get 10 hours sleep because other people are awake either side of when I go to sleep and when I'm trying to get my last few hours. And even getting 7 or 8 is dependent on going to sleep at exactly the same time as them. If I don't feel tired and can't get to sleep until a few hours later, that means I only get around 5 or 6. The amount of sleep I get is completely at the whim of other people's schedules. I can tell when I'm sleep-deprived upon getting out of bed and throughout the day I constantl have this sick-looking, pale colour to my face and deep blue lines under my eyes, both of which I used to get when I would stay up all night (back when I slept well).

People suggest a studio apartment but that doesn't help because I get woken in apartments from people above and below me.

Meditation doesn't help. I might try doing more exercise but I'm not getting my hopes up.

Does anyone know any ways to help them sleep through noise? This problem has been going on with me for about 7 years now. I used to sleep through noise (unless there was something really noisy happening) without earplugs.

This sounds like a hormonal issue or possibly adrenal fatigue symptoms of being hypervigilant combined with the hair issues. Have you gotten a blood panel done recently? Electrolytes, thyroid (TSH, T4), testosterone, morning cortisol levels, blood glucose, ... would find a doc who can test all of these things just to have the knowledge of where your body is at. Have you tried medicinal herbs or any tinctures?

 

[Jools Holland]

This sounds like a hormonal issue or possibly adrenal fatigue symptoms of being hypervigilant combined with the hair issues

I was thinking it might be a hormonal issue rather than a psychological one.

Have you gotten a blood panel done recently? Electrolytes, thyroid (TSH, T4), testosterone, morning cortisol levels, blood glucose,

Yes, a million times recently, lol, because of some other problem I was having (regarding my sodium levels). Everything always returns normal with the exception of my sodium levels recently (they were outside the higher range as I was consuming a huge amount of salt).

I don't know how reliable the electrolyte tests are though. When I was consuming no salt, the electrolyte tests showed that my sodium levels were in the normal range despite the fact that I was clearly having problems (diarrhea, lethargy, etc.) that went away as soon as I increased my sodium intake. But who knows, maybe something other than not eating any salt was causing the problem.

Have you tried medicinal herbs or any tinctures?

I've tried different medicinal herbs but they haven't helped. I've never heard of tinctures. From what I can understand they are drugs dissolved in alcohol. I'm not interested in taking drugs as I don't want to develop a dependency on anything (unless a simple supplement or food was to help).

 

[Lou]

A inexpensive easily obtained OTC sleep aid is Diphehydamine HCL. Found in dramamine, some allergy medicines and most pain relievers that end with PM. I don't take it too often but it always works.

A more expensive sleep aid is Sleepy Time THC capsules - 25mg. They work really well and they last a long time. You can also get THC in a liquid sublingual form where you can adjust the dose. 10 mg is just about perfect for me.

A non drug solution that I just heard about is
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (or CBT-I). CBT-I uses techniques that repair your relationship with sleep. It does this by retraining your mind and body to think and behave in ways that promote sleep.

bh-web-ui

app.mystrength.com

Therapy Without a Therapist?

Learning and practicing new skills is at the heart of CBT, whether you work with a therapist or on your own.

www.psychologytoday.com

 

[Jools Holland]

Seven years. That's a long time to suffer with this. I'm sorry.
I don't know if I can help, but I can give some tips from personal experience. First of all, just like others have suggested, there is nothing wrong with getting medication. Chamomile tea is another option. Talking with a therapist might help. Even without some underlying issue like anxiety, just worrying about your problems might increase and intensify your alertness during the time you are trying to rest.
If you drink coffee, decaf would be better option. Walking also helps, there are walking videos on YouTube, which have become increasingly popular during COVID. Dancing is a good option if walking seems boring.
I'm still going to also suggest meditation, even though you said that it doesn't help. There are all kinds of meditations that you still could try if you are up to that. Some sleep talk downs with positive affirmations are also powerful with letting go of stress and finding peace within yourself.
I like to do good night yoga (basically just some gentle and slow yoga, not like something crazy headstands) whilst listening to chanting, like Namo Avalokiteshvara while concentrating on having compassion towards myself and others, afterwards I meditate and this routine gives me good sleep. But I'm not suffering like you are, I just have bad dreams sometimes and this routine helps me with that issue.

I tried the exercising that you suggested. Only recently I've tried exercising whilst trying to keep absolutely everything else I do constant to see if the exercise helps. I noticed that exercise helps with sleep onset. However, when I exercise, it just seems to make the sleep maintenance/quality worse - I wake up more, sweat in my sleep, and have increased nightmares. It also seems like my hair loss accelerates when I look at my hairline the next morning in the days after I exercise and more hair shedding the next day (more hairs falling out when working at my computer, in the sink or toilet when using the bathroom, etc).

I thought that maybe the reason is that when I do more walking (e.g., 4-5 miles a day, rather than 2 - 2.5), I burn more calories and am no longer eating at maintenance, so I tried to increase my calorie intake by the additional amount of calories I am burning (so around 250 calories, I think), but it didn't help at all. Also, I lost a lot of weight recently and am worried that I will put it back on.

Do you think the reason might be that I am burning more calories than I think with my extra walk? Should I try and extra 400? Then 600? If that doesn't work then I can tell that the exercise is not working and go back to the amount I was eating before?

 

[Deleted member 3018]

I tried the exercising that you suggested. Only recently I've tried exercising whilst trying to keep absolutely everything else I do constant to see if the exercise helps. I noticed that exercise helps with sleep onset. However, when I exercise, it just seems to make the sleep maintenance/quality worse - I wake up more, sweat in my sleep, and have increased nightmares. It also seems like my hair loss accelerates when I look at my hairline the next morning in the days after I exercise and more hair shedding the next day (more hairs falling out when working at my computer, in the sink or toilet when using the bathroom, etc).

I thought that maybe the reason is that when I do more walking (e.g., 4-5 miles a day, rather than 2 - 2.5), I burn more calories and am no longer eating at maintenance, so I tried to increase my calorie intake by the additional amount of calories I am burning (so around 250 calories, I think), but it didn't help at all. Also, I lost a lot of weight recently and am worried that I will put it back on.

Do you think the reason might be that I am burning more calories than I think with my extra walk? Should I try and extra 400? Then 600? If that doesn't work then I can tell that the exercise is not working and go back to the amount I was eating before?

I'm sorry for giving you bad advice. I hope that you can get help from a doctor.
Night sweats can be an indicator of a larger problem, like hormonal imbalance, low blood sugar levels or infection of the membrane that lines your heart chambers and heart valves. But I really do not know what it could be.
I don't think I can really give any help. I'm really sorry.

All I can say is that being bald can even look good and be liberating. It's also more hygienic than having hair. No more shampoo or tangled hair. Just look at Buddhist monks and nuns, they don't look bad at all. Actually, they look dignified.

 

[Jools Holland]

I'm sorry for giving you bad advice. I hope that you can get help from a doctor.
Night sweats can be an indicator of a larger problem, like hormonal imbalance, low blood sugar levels or infection of the membrane that lines your heart chambers and heart valves. But I really do not know what it could be.
I don't think I can really give any help. I'm really sorry.

All I can say is that being bald can even look good and be liberating. It's also more hygienic than having hair. No more shampoo or tangled hair. Just look at Buddhist monks and nuns, they don't look bad at all. Actually, they look dignified.

No, I think your advice was helpful, because without it I wouldn't have realized that the extra exercise is helpful for sleep onset. (The last few months I did actually start having sleep onset problems as well when I don't usually have them, and I realized lack of exercise was probably the reason). I just need to try and understand why it could have exacerbated the sleep maintenance problems.

I'll try increasing my calorie intake by more to see if that helps. I'm just worried about doing that because I lost a lot of weight recently (about 23 kgs) and have gained about 2 kg back and another kg in the last few weeks (after maintaining the low weight for a little while), and don't want to gain even more back. I think I may have permanently lowered my metabolism to a lower amount because of the dieting (it can happen, according to some research I saw recently). I may just have to walk more.