Going to bed with your hair wet often means disaster come morning. There are all kinds of reasons it’s not a good idea to go to bed with your hair wet, but sometimes you have to because of your schedule. There are some ways to help protect your hair, and make sure you don’t end up with a disaster in the morning.
Reasons NOT to go to Bed with Your Hair Wet
Before I explain how to sleep with your hair wet, I feel it’s important to discuss the reasons for not doing it first. There are exceptions to every rule, and this is no different, but you want to be careful about sleeping on wet hair.
Damage and Frizz
One of the biggest reasons to avoid sleeping on wet hair is that it is extremely fragile. Any amount of tossing and turning causes the delicate strands to break and frizz. Couple this with blow drying, styling, and products that you put in your hair, and it will start to look damaged, dry, and unappealing.
Bedhead
The other issue that you have when you go to bed with wet hair is bedhead. This is the knotted, frizzy mess that your hair makes as it dries while you toss and turn. You might have noticed that sometimes you wake up and look like you’ve stuck your hand in a light socket. Taming that mess and making it look neat and tidy for the day takes work and additional products, which isn’t good for your hair.
Catch a Chill
During the summer months this might not be such a bad thing, but during winter months, going to bed with wet hair can make it chilly and difficult to warm up. Although you want to be cooler when sleeping, you don’t want to be so cold that it’s uncomfortable to sleep. Going to bed with wet hair can cause issues with your sleep cycle.
How to Sleep with Wet Hair
Again, there are times when you don’t have a choice but to go to bed with wet hair. Here are some ways to help protect your hair and prevent the dreaded bedhead.
Rollers
The best kind are the sponge rollers because they help keep your hair in place which avoids damaging it. Once you’ve rolled your hair, place a handkerchief or night cap over it to prevent friction between your hair and your pillowcase. When you wake up in the morning, you’ll have soft, bouncy curls.
Braids
If you want soft waves that make it look like you spent the day on a beach, apply a light mousse to your hair from roots to tip, and then split your hair into two sections. Braid each section and secure it with metal-free elastic bands. Loosen the braids a little by pulling them apart. In the morning, unravel the braids and run your fingers through your hair until you get it where you like it. Set with a sea salt spray.
Bun
The bun is a tried and true practice for giving you easy volume and a soft wave, as well as protecting fine hair. The best way to do the bun is to pull your hair back like you would for a pony tail, and then twist it around itself. Secure it with four or five bobby pins rather than an elastic band, and then cover your head with a scarf or bandana to keep the edges protected.
Plopping
With this method, flip your hair over and pile it on top of your head. Wrap everything tightly with a microfiber towel, and secure it with clips if you’d like. In the morning, release your hair and fluff. Avoid using a brush as this can cause your hair to frizz. This method isn’t well-suited for those with long, thick hair.
Go with Satin
Regardless of which hair style you choose to adopt with wet hair, there is one more thing you can do to help prevent damage to your hair and lessen the bedhead effect: change your pillowcases to satin. Your hair will slide over the fabric with ease, reducing friction and static, which also reduces sleep creases and kinks that have to be worked out in the morning.
Resources:
- http://www.today.com/series/morning-routine/camila-alves-go-breakfast-eggs-all-kinds-savory-goodness-t15276
- http://www.makeup.com/how-to-sleep-on-wet-hair
- http://stylecaster.com/beauty-high/6-tricks-to-sleeping-on-wet-hair/
- https://sleep.org/articles/prevent-bedhead/
- http://www.slashedbeauty.com/7-ways-prevent-bed-head/