Believe it or not, most of our hair breakage and split ends occur when we’re having our very important beauty sleep. Preparing your hair for bed can drastically improve the quality of your hair, minimizing hair breakage, rough follicles, and even the need to use heated hair tools. Keep reading for classic and fresh ideas on how to sleep with long hair.
How to Protect Hair While You Sleep
Whether you’re looking to improve the condition of your hair or you’re looking for a suitable hairstyle to wear for bed, these 7 tips to protect your hair while you sleep will help you wake up with softer, healthier and more manageable hair in the morning.
1. Never Attempt to Go to Bed with Wet or Damp Hair
Hair is the most fragile when it is wet or damp. This is mainly because the proteins (known as keratins) present in each follicle form a much weaker bond when wet. When you brush, sleep or play with wet hair, the hair stretches and deforms the follicle rather than snapping back into shape. This unnecessary stretching and friction damage the hair follicle, leaving you with rough, broken, and damaged hair.
After washing your hair, use a microfiber towel to gently pat dry and remove excess water. You may want to finish drying your hair with a hair dryer, but don’t put it on the highest heat option. Also, avoid brushing your hair when wet and, instead, use your fingers or a wide-tooth comb to remove the tangles.
2. Apply Hair Oil Before Bedtime
Applying hair oil to dry hair will help keep your strands hydrated overnight. Oils create a protective layer around each follicle, which help minimize breakage and split ends. If you tend to wake up with dry and unmanageable hair in the morning, applying everyday hair oil before bedtime can really help tame the dryness and hair friction overnight, plus preventing any further breakage from happening while sleeping.
A suitable hair oil that you can use on a daily basis, without leaving your hair feeling greasy, is Argan oil. This Moroccan oil will also penetrate the hair shaft and repair hair from within, leaving your hair feeling soft and more manageable.
@moroccanoil
3. Sleep on a Silk Pillowcase
Traditional pillowcases are generally made with cotton and, although, there are various cotton counts you can choose from, for maximum comfort, nothing beats a pillowcase made from silk! If you’re on a mission to find the best tips on how to sleep with long hair, then investing in a good-quality silk pillowcase can really improve the quality of your hair, as well as your beauty sleep.
Silk pillowcases are softer and a lot silkier to touch than cotton pillowcases, which means your hair will encounter less friction overnight and will slide off the pillow case with ease without causing unnecessary tension and roughness to the hair follicle. Hair friction while sleeping is one of the most common causes for split ends, dry and brittle hair.
@katrinasilks
4. Wrap Your Hair in the Flower Curl and Wake up to Bouncy Curls
Finding a suitable hairstyle for bed that will both protect and style your hair while you sleep may seem like a near-impossible mission to achieve… that’s until you try the Flower Curl! This overnight hair curler is a brilliant hair tool, designed to be worn overnight to protect and curl your hair.
Hair is gently wrapped in the curler and positioned at the top of the scalp, allowing you to roll from side to side without discomfort and without rolling on your own hair. This bedtime hairdo will protect your locks, minimize overnight hair friction and will also give you the most gorgeous curls the following morning!
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Related Post: 7 Ways to Preserve Curly Hair Overnight
5. Wear a Silk Cap
Wearing a silk cap will help encourage further overnight protection. This is mainly because your hair is nicely cocooned inside the cap, allowing your natural oils to condition and protect the length of your hair while you sleep. Investing in a good-quality silk cap is crucial, as cheap satin or silk imitations will simply not have the same effect as a 100% silk cap.
Wearing a silk sleep cap overnight will prevent tangling, frizz and overnight hair friction, which are the main causes for hair breakage and split ends.
@silkelondon
6. Apply a Weekly Overnight Hair Mask
When was the last time you applied a hair mask? Getting into the habit of applying a weekly overnight hair mask will not only improve the condition of your hair but will also help tame frizz, dryness, and prevent further breakage from happening. Sometimes it’s the best way to sleep with long hair! Our hair is extremely delicate and needs constant love, care, and attention; applying a weekly overnight hair mask will ensure that your hair absorbs essential nutrients and vitamins while you sleep. A good-quality hair mask will help repair, strengthen, condition, soften, and tame your hair. The hair mask that I choose is Coco & Eve coconut treatment.
Apply a good amount of hair mask to your scalp and hair once a week before you go to bed. Position and secure the hair in a top bun, using a soft scrunchie. You may also want to place a small towel on top of your pillowcase to avoid any unwanted hair mask stains! The next morning, wash out the mask and style as usual.
@cocoandeve
7. Make Sure Your Hair Is Free from Product Before You Go to Bed
Hair spray, hair extensions, and hair accessories can really damage your hair when sleeping, causing unnecessary tangles, dryness and breakage. Hair sprays contain alcohol and will leave your hair feeling and looking brittle, as well as damaged when used regularly. Always ensure that your hair is free from hair spray before heading to bed.
Hair extensions and hair accessories, such as tight hair ties and hair clips, can get tangled in your hair, causing split ends and breakage. Always choose gentle products that are designed to be worn overnight, such as overnight hair curlers, silk scrunchies and silk hair caps.
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