Is It Bad To Sleep With Wet Hair?

I bet your parents always told you you should never go to sleep with wet hair, right? There are all sorts of horror stories they used to scare you with, if they were anything like mine!

But, is it bad to sleep with wet hair? Let’s have a look into why you should or shouldn’t do this, and debunk any childhood myths about it while we’re at it.

Is It Bad To Sleep With Wet Hair?

Sleeping with wet hair, as well as potentially being uncomfortable, is not the best thing you can do for your hair.

The temperature fluctuations through the night can leave you feeling chilled, and can even leave you with a runny nose in the morning.

Sleeping with wet hair can also, in some cases, cause headaches and migraines, if you are already susceptible to them.

Also, a pillow is a great sponge, so if yours is soaking up water all the time it can lead to mould and mildew.

Wet hair is at its most vulnerable, so it is prone to breakage and damage. Especially when you wriggle around on your pillow!

If you have naturally frizzy hair, sleeping on it wet can cause even more of an issue when you wake up in the morning!

Sleeping on wet hair can also cause more issues with split ends, so if you struggle with this issue then maybe drying your hair before bed is a good idea.

If your hair is already pretty strong and healthy, you shouldn’t have too much of an issue with sleeping with wet hair, unless it’s the coldness!

Sleeping on wet hair once in a while, like most things that you do with your hair once in a while, won’t do you any harm.

If you make it a regular thing though, it ca cause long term issues that you probably don’t want to deal with!

Here is a detailed video telling you all about the reasons why you shouldn’t sleep with wet hair:

How Do You Sleep With Wet Hair Without Damaging It?

• Make sure your hair is not dripping wet. This will not only be bad for your hair, but your sleep will be very uncomfortable!
• Apply a light styling cream. This applies to those with straight hair; you should apply the cream and gently comb it through with your fingers for best results.
• Wrap your hair in a microfibre towel. These clever little devices are expert at removing excess water, without messing up your ‘do too much.
• Apply hydrating cream. This one is for the curly girls! Slapping on a bit of moisturising cream before you sleep on damp hair will help see it through to the morning.
• Twist your hair into a loose bun. If you “pineapple” your hair like this, it will prevent it from getting damaged, at the same time as leaving you with good definition when you wake up.

Is Sleeping With Wet Hair Dangerous?

Sleeping with wet hair is not dangerous to your health, don’t worry! The old wives’ tales about how it will give you colds is not actually true.

It might not be the most comfortable thing in the world, but sleeping with wet hair certainly shouldn’t make you poorly.

Sleeping with wet hair is not at all dangerous to your health – but it can sometimes be a not so great for the health of your hair.

Hair is not particularly strong when it is wet, so it is more prone to getting damaged, especially if your head moves about on the pillow.

When hair is wet, it needs to be treated gently – and this generally means not sleeping on it!

Sleeping with wet hair can also affect how it looks in the morning – if you sleep on it sticking up every which way, it will dry in this position and may need a lot of sorting out in the morning.

Sleeping on your hair when it is wet is not in any way dangerous to your health – but it can affect your look the following morning.

How Should I Sleep With Wet Hair?

The main thing to remember is that when you sleep, you are generally pressing down on one part of your hair.

This means that you may wake up with a very strange looking ‘do! You can get around this with a little forethought, however.

1. Sleep with it damp, not sopping wet. Soaking hair will make your pillowcase soggy and make for an uncomfortable night!
2. Put your hair in a loose plait. You will wake up with a little extra body and some fetching waves!
3. Don’t put it in a tight bun. This can cause damage by putting too much pressure on your hair, and can cause breakage and thinning.
4. Use a leave in conditioner. This will protect the hair against too much damage during the night.
5. Use a satin pillowcase. These offer much less resistance than a cotton one, and will prevent your hair getting quite so tangled.
6. Change the pillowcase in the morning. Preventing moisture from sitting on the pillow will prevent it from becoming mouldy and causing health issues.
7. Use a scrunchie. If you are putting your wet hair up before you sleep, don’t use a very tight elastic band as this will leave marks; a scrunchie will not be so harsh.
8. If you like your hair in a certain style, putting it in that style before you go to sleep is a good idea, as it will dry that way.

However, if you move about loads, or if your style is not conducive to a good night’s sleep, best to dry it before you go to bed.

Final Words

Now you know a little more about it, you can stop panicking if there is not time between that evening hair wash and bedtime!

It’s not the end of the world to sleep with wet hair, just make sure you look after it with the appropriate treatments afterwards.