How Parabens and phthalates Disrupt the Circadian Rhythm and Impact Deep Sleep

Elizabeth Algar|30th Febuary 2025

Sleep health and achieving the right amount of rest each night is something that we would all benefit from focusing on a little more. While sleep science is still something of an emerging discipline, Green Fig is going to take a look at two classes of chemicals we already know have a detrimental impact.

Parabens and phthalates are added to a whole host of different beauty products that many of us use on a daily basis, and yet scientists have proven they disrupt your circadian rhythm. The impact on your health in general, and sleep quality in particular, cannot be overlooked.

To learn more about this fascinating subject, let’s start by covering the basics.

What is the circadian rhythm?

Your body runs on a natural 24-hour cycle dictated by the length of the day and it uses this cycle to do everything from timing the release of hormones to regulating your core temperature and sleep cycle.

You can think of the circadian rhythm as an internal body clock that allows you to sleep and wake at the same time, have energy throughout the day, and maintain your overall wellness. The problem is that when it is disrupted by an external influence, you will be left feeling less than your best.

How does the circadian rhythm work?

The brain contains a master clock called the Suprachiasmatic Nuclei (SCN) that oversees your circadian rhythm. The SCN functions by taking in light inputs received from the retina and synchronising your body clock to the day. This is why we wake up when there's sunshine, feel lethargic when it’s cloudy, and know to sleep at night.

As well as natural light, your circadian rhythm is also affected by a few other things:

What you eat and drink, plus anything you unwittingly put into your body

How physically active you have been that day and how much energy you burnt off

The room temperature and how much you are sweating or overheating

Your background stress and anxiety levels can change your clock dramatically

Even the social environment you find yourself in influences things because it will determine many of your lifestyle choices

Sleep is perhaps the most overlooked part of your body’s daily routine, and yet it’s bar far one of the most important to your overall health and wellness. Knowing what affects it in a negative way will make a real difference to how you think and feel.

What affects your sleep pattern?

The first thing we need to say is that not all forms of sleep are created equal. There’s light sleep where large parts of your brain are still active, there’s deep sleep where much of the growth and repair your body needs takes place, and there are a lot of transient sleep states in between. While it’s tempting to think that the more time you are asleep the better, it’s actually the quality of the sleep you get that matters.

Sleep that is broken, disconnected, and frequently interrupted, but that extends for a longer period of time is not as good as a shorter, higher quality, more connected sleep. To achieve the latter, we need to pay attention to things such as:

Hormone release times and how they can be influenced by what you put into your body via food, drink, and even beauty products

Whether or not you are going to be hungry or if you try to sleep as soon as you’ve finished a heavy meal — neither is ideal

Your mental state when you try and sleep and if you have any sources of blue light like your phone in the bedroom

While broken circadian rhythms can arise due to poor physical and mental health or an unsuitable environment, we’re going to focus on what you put into your body. Chiefly, we’re going to focus on chemicals known as parabens and phthalates that occur in many beauty products and cosmetics.

What are parabens?

Parabens are chemicals that extend the shelf life of a range of products by preventing bacterial growth. While the intentions are good, the outcomes can be anything but.

What are phthalates?

Phthalates are a group of chemicals designed to make plastics flexible and easy to shape. The problem is that they can leech into the products, foods, and drinks they’re helping to contain.

Why are they in our bodies?

Parabens are present in a whole host of cosmetics, creams, and shaving products, as well as a wide array of processed and canned foods.

Phthalates are prohibited from use in cosmetics and beauty products but can still find their way into the body due to cross-contamination and micro-dosing.

What should happen in deep sleep?

Deep sleep, also known as slow-wave sleep (SWS), is when your body heals and grows so it’s ready for the next day. During this vital period of sleep, your brain directs the following processes:

Tissue repair: This is when your muscles, bones, and connective tissues heal and repair

Immune strengthening: Your immune system is brought up to date and reinforced against new foreign bodies

Consolidation of new memories: New memories are evaluated, created, and stored deep within the brain

Brain cleansing and detoxification: Metabolic waste and toxins that have built up during the day are washed out

Growth hormone release: An essential process that you cannot function properly without

Clearly, if any of the above are cut out or cut short, you will not be able to live the healthy life many of us take for granted.

How does the disruption occur?

A leading scientific study has shown that higher levels of phthalates and parabens in the body are strongly linked to later sleep timing, particularly in women. The issue is that the chemicals are endocrine-disrupting in nature and throw off the careful hormonal balance that the human body is trying to strike each and every day.

A second study highlights how these same chemicals result in longer, more fragmented sleep. While people who took part in the study may have slept for longer as a result of increased exposure, their sleep was significantly more fragmented and their total deep sleep time was reduced.

The reason the hormonal balance occurs, and is most noticeable in women, is that paraben mimics the role of oestrogen. This is not something that is conducive to a balanced, sustainable approach to healthy living.

What can we do to achieve more deep sleep?

The best approach, where practically possible, is to reduce exposure to both groups of chemicals as much as possible. Paraben-free cosmetics and beauty products that take a no-parabens approach are certainly worth looking into. Green Fig can also help you find products with no added phthalates that will help reduce your exposure.

If in doubt, check out our brand inventory and treat yourself to healthier, happier products that give your body everything it needs, and nothing more.