Grow Taller Overnight

Bodies are constantly in flux. People may grow taller until the age of 20 to 25, while adults can start shrinking by the time they are 40. The best ways to increase your height will vary depending upon how old you are. Improving your posture is the best way to grow taller overnight.

Steps

Improving Posture

  1. Avoid slouching when you sit. It is easy to have bad posture when you are sitting. You should always sit with your back straight, your shoulders back, and with your buttocks touching the back of your chair. If you are always slouching when you sit, your muscles can become weak and your spine may be fixed in an abnormal position. This can make you look appear shorter than you are.[1]
    • If you have to sit for long periods of time, try to stand up or walk around every 30 minutes if you can.
    • Keep your feet flat on the floor while you are sitting and your knees at a 90 degree angle. You may need to use a footrest or stool to maintain the proper position.
  2. Sleep on a supportive mattress. Find a mattress that offers good back support. Try out different mattresses before you buy one. If you sleep on your stomach, you will need a firmer mattress than people that sleep on their back or their side. You will spend about 1/3 of your life sleeping, so think of a quality mattress as an investment.[2]
    • Sleeping on your back puts the least amount of pressure on your spine. If you can not sleep on your back, try sleeping on your side. Stomach sleeping should be your last option.
    • If you sleep on your side, use one pillow for your head and place another pillow between your legs to keep your spine in alignment.
    • Support your neck with a pillow that fills in the natural curve of your neck.
  3. Do the wall test. The wall test can help you determine your posture and identify any areas that need improvement. Stand with your back of your head and buttocks touching the wall. Your heels should be six inches from the baseboard. Once you are in this position, check the distance between your neck and the wall and your lower back and the wall.[3]
    • Your lower back should be one or two inches from the wall. Your neck should be two inches from the wall.
    • It may be helpful to have someone else measure for you.
  4. Check your posture in the mirror. Stand sideways in front of the mirror. Your head should be straight and not bending forwards or backwards. Your chin should should be parallel to the floor. Your shoulders should be in line with your ears, and your stomach should be flat. Your lower back should have a slight forward curve (i.e. not too flat, not too curved, not a hollow back).[3]
    • It may be easier to evaluate your posture by having someone take a picture of you in this position.
    • Make sure you do this exercise in a full length mirror so you can see your entire body.
  5. Strengthen your core muscles. Your lower back muscles and abdominal muscles make up your core muscles. These muscles connect to your spine and pelvis and help you have good posture. Strengthening these muscles can improve your posture.[4]
    • Exercises you should try include planks, standing abdominal exercises, and lower back exercises.
    • Stop doing any of these exercise if you experience pain. If you have severe back pain, see a doctor before you begin doing core exercise.[5]
    • While strengthening your core muscles won't make you grow taller overnight, it will help you improve your posture over time so that you will look taller for long term purposes.

Dressing to Appear Taller

  1. Create a monochrome outfit. An outfit that has clean lines in one color will make you appear taller. The darker the colors, the taller you will appear. If you do mix colors, wear darker colors on your lower half and lighter colors on top.[6]
    • All black is often the go-to for monochrome outfits, but other colors work as well.[7]
    • Wearing vertical stripes and avoiding low-waist pants and trousers will make you look taller as well.[6][8]
  2. Tailor your clothing. Your clothing can be used to create an illusion. The proportion of your clothes can change how your body looks. For example, loose fitting and baggy clothes can make you appear shorter than you are. Better fitting clothes can make you look leaner and taller.[6]
    • Find a tailor in your area by doing a simple Google search. Read the reviews to help you decide on the best one.[9]
    • If there are no tailors in your area, most dry cleaners can do basic alterations.
  3. Wear heels. The quickest way to appear taller is to wear heels of any height. Neutral heels that match your skin tone and heels without ankle straps give the illusion of longer legs.[10] Shoe lifts and heel inserts are an option for men who would like some extra height.
    • If you wear flats, try a pair of pointy toe shoes to elongate your legs.
    • Pairing your heels with a high-waisted skirt or high-waisted pants will make you look even taller.
  4. Avoid wide belts. A skinny belt helps define your waist without cutting your body in half. Wearing a wide belt will actually make you look shorter.[11] Your belt should be the same color or a similar color to your pants. A contrasting belt color will draw attention to your waist and make you look shorter.
    • It is best if you can avoid wearing a belt all together.[6]
    • Avoid wearing belts with large buckles as well.

Styling Your Hair to Appear Taller

  1. Cut your hair. Shorter hair can make you look taller. Any cut that shows of your shoulders and neckline will do the trick. This is particularly helpful for petite and/or shorter people. If you do not want to cut your hair, wearing your hair in a ponytail or high bun can create the same effect.[11]
    • If you are nervous about cutting your hair, try on wigs or use a hairstyle makeover app to see what you would look like.
  2. Add volume to the top. Hairstyles that are more voluminous in the top sections will give you a few extra inches. Your hair should appear shorter and flatter on the sides. The contrast between the volume on top and the flatter sides will make you look taller than you are.[12]
    • This hairstyle is easier to create if you have a shorter haircut.
    • If you have fine hair, a layered hair cut will give your hair more volume.
    • Wash you hair with a volumizing shampoo and avoid heavy products (e.g. gels, serums, and creams) that may wear your hair down.[13] Look for lightweight products that are formulated to add volume and texture.
  3. Add highlights to your hair. Adding a lighter color to your hair will add body and depth. Highlighting your hair is especially important if you have longer hair. Long, straight hair in one color can overwhelm your look. Coloring your hair will add some dimension to your long hair.[14]
    • The difference in height will be more noticeable if you cut your hair and add some color.
    • Consult a professional stylist about which color is best for you.

Maximizing Your Height If You Are Still Growing

  1. Eat well. While your genes are responsible for 60 to 80 percent of your height, good nutrition is responsible for the other 40 to 20 percent of your height.[15] Your diet should be comprised of protein, fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy products. Limit your intake of added sugar, saturated and trans fat. [16]
    • Good sources of protein include seafood, lean meat and poultry, eggs, beans, peas, legumes, nuts, seeds, and soy products.
    • Eat fruits instead of drinking fruit juice. If you drink fruit juice, make sure that is 100% juice. If you eat canned fruit, it should say "light" or "packed in own juice."
    • Eat a variety of vegetables with many different colors such as dark green, red, orange, and starchy vegetables. Fresh and frozen vegetables are better choices than canned vegetables. If you eat canned vegetables, look for vegetables that are low in sodium.
    • Choose whole grains such as whole-wheat bread, brown rice, wild rice, and quinoa instead of white bread and refined grains.
    • Dairy should be low-fat or fat-free. Good sources of dairy include milk, cheese, and yogurt.
  2. Exercise every day. Children need 60 minutes of exercise every single day.[17] Exercise causes your body to produce growth hormone and increase the density of your bones.[18] Children can get exercise in many different ways such as gym class at school, recess, playing tag, riding their bike, or at any type of sports practice.[19]
    • Make sure you do a variety of different activities and do activities that are fun for you.
    • Toddlers should get at least 30 minutes of planned physical activity and 60 minutes of free play each day.
    • Preschoolers should get at least 60 minutes of planned physical activity and 60 minutes of free play each day.
    • School age children should get at least an hour of physical activity each day. Each bout of physical activity should last for a minimum of 15 minutes.[20]
  3. Get enough sleep each night. While you are sleeping, your body releases growth hormone. While missing one night of sleep will not stunt your growth, not getting enough sleep over time can negatively impact your growth.[21] The amount of sleep you need will depend on your age and activity level.
    • Newborn babies (0-3 months) need between 10.5 and 18 hours of sleep per day.
    • Infants (4-11 months) need about 9 to 12 hours of sleep at night and a few naps throughout the day.
    • Toddlers (1-2 years old) need about 11 to 14 hours of sleep a day.[22]
    • Preschoolers (3-5 years old) need 11 to 13 hours of sleep each night.
    • School aged children (6 to 13 years old) need 9 to 11 hours of sleep each night.
    • Teenagers usually need about 8.5 to 9 hours of sleep each night.
  4. Do not smoke. Smoking is a sure way to stunt your growth, especially during puberty. Smoking only 10 cigarettes a day for a few years can cause you to be one inch shorter than you would have been.[23] Smoking marijuana can also stunt your growth by decreasing your body's ability to produce growth hormone.[24] To reach your maximum height, it is best if you do not smoke any substance.
    • If you are a smoker but would like to stop, there are free apps, quit plans, and text message resources that you can use.[25]
    • You may also call 1-800-QUIT-NOW to get information about quitting smoking.

Tips

  • It is important to be realistic about how tall you will be. If everyone in your family is short, you are less likely to be very tall.

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases_conditions/hic_Posture_for_a_Healthy_Back
  2. ↑ http://ergonomics.ucla.edu/component/content/article/92-back-safety/120-sleeping-posture.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://colepaintherapygroup.com/self-test-posture-problems/
  4. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/better-posture-exercises?page=1
  5. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/better-posture-exercises?page=3
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 http://www.esquire.com/style/mens-fashion/a37254/7-style-tips-that-will-make-you-look-taller/
  7. ↑ http://stylecaster.com/fashion-tips-to-make-you-look-taller/#slide-9
  8. ↑ http://stylecaster.com/fashion-tips-to-make-you-look-taller/#slide-14
  9. ↑ http://www.themodestman.com/how-to-find-a-tailor/
  10. ↑ https://laurenconrad.com/blog/2014/06/style-files-how-to-get-longer-looking-legs/
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 http://stylecaster.com/fashion-tips-to-make-you-look-taller/#slide-12
  12. ↑ http://www.jeanlouisdavid.us/article/which-hairstyles-will-make-me-look-taller_a5323/1
  13. ↑ http://www.jeanlouisdavid.us/article/give-volume-to-my-lifeless-hair_a838/1
  14. ↑ http://www.naturalheightgrowth.com/2012/09/12/hairstyles-for-men-to-look-taller/
  15. ↑ http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-much-of-human-height/
  16. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/nutrition-for-kids/art-20049335
  17. ↑ http://www.apa.org/topics/children/healthy-eating.aspx
  18. ↑ http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rbme/v10n6/en_a09v10n6.pdf
  19. ↑ http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/exercise.html
  20. ↑ http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/exercise.html#
  21. ↑ http://teenshealth.org/en/teens/sleep-growth.html?WT.ac=ctg
  22. ↑ https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/children-and-sleep/page/0/1
  23. ↑ https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331135155.htm
  24. ↑ http://www.medicaldaily.com/smoking-pot-leads-early-puberty-stunted-growth-teenage-boys-334116
  25. ↑ http://smokefree.gov/

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