How Bad Is It Really to Sleep With Wet Hair?

Table Of Content

• Scalp and Hair Conditions to Consider
• How can you minimize problems if you like to shower at night?
• Shower As Early As Possible In The Evening
• The Really Gross Reason You Shouldn't Go To Bed With Wet Hair
• How to Fall Back Asleep After Waking in the Night
• Can Sleeping With Wet Hair Damage Your Strands?
• How Bad Is It Really to Sleep With Wet Hair?

“Curly hair is naturally more prone to dryness and frizz, and sleeping on wet hair can exacerbate these issues. The friction and movement against the pillow can disrupt the curl pattern and lead to more frizz and tangles,” says Haliti. While straight thin hair has a similar issue with dryness and frizz the increased friction can lead to tangles, breakage, and moisture loss. But we know that life isn’t perfect, so if you must go to sleep with wet hair there are some ways to help avoid potential damage. It is best to let your hair dry completely before going to sleep since sleeping with wet hair is not healthy for your hair strand or scalp. Continuously sleeping with wet hair can lead to increased breakage, frizz, split ends, dryness, dandruff, and various scalp health issues.

Scalp and Hair Conditions to Consider

However, by following the right techniques like using silk materials, applying leave-in conditioner, or braiding your hair, you can minimize damage and wake up with healthier, more manageable locks. Ultimately, it’s essential to find a bedtime routine that works best for your hair type and needs to ensure you have a good hair day, whether you’ve slept with wet hair or not. Overall, experts agree that going to bed with soaking-wet or even damp hair is not healthy or safe for your hair and overall physical well-being. But if evening showering is your preference, alter your routine a bit to reduce your risk of potential infections and hair damage. Even if you don’t go to bed with wet hair, bacteria, sweat and dead skin cells all build up on your bedding. According to the Cleveland Clinic, you should wash your bedding twice a week, but many experts suggest at least once a week to prevent skin breakouts and to avoid exacerbating conditions, such as allergies and asthma.

How can you minimize problems if you like to shower at night?

Experts reveal why you should never go to bed with wet hair - Daily Mail

Experts reveal why you should never go to bed with wet hair.

Posted: Thu, 07 Mar 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

As you may have inferred from reading above, there are some downsides to habitually sleeping with wet hair. These include hair breakage, hygiene concerns and the aforementioned sleep issues. Sleeping with wet hair can be tempting on warm nights, or if you’re a naturally hot sleeper.

Shower As Early As Possible In The Evening

If you're looking to straighten your locks, start when your hair is still slightly damp so it stays straighter longer, Reavey says. "When the hair is wet the bonds are broken and as the hair dries the bonds fix. If you let it air dry to a wavy state, it's very hard to get the hair to dry straight." You may have heard you're not supposed to use a regular terry cloth towel on wet hair, but Quinlan explains it's more about how you handle hair versus what you use to dry it.

Though there isn’t any evidence of its benefits for hair, the milder surface may also help lessen damage if you go to sleep with your hair wet — or dry, for that matter. The oil reduces the amount of water absorbed so it’s less prone to damage. This isn’t recommended if you have seborrheic eczema, however, since coconut oil could make it worse.

There are supplements available specifically tailored to help your hair grow faster and fuller. "If you want to try something over the counter, you can consider using Viviscal or Nutrafol," Ahram says. "These supplements can help; however, if you do not see results after five or six months, you will most likely not benefit from them." We received our sleep coach training through the Spencer Institute to better understand the nuances of sleep science. Learning more about how we sleep has improved our focus when we discuss our mattresses, helping us articulate how we strive to increase sleep quality.

How to Fall Back Asleep After Waking in the Night

"It's important to incorporate a healthy diet to gain nutrients and vitamins to support the health of your hair," Hurtado says. Ever had one of those nights where you wash your hair and just aren’t mentally prepared to do anything else to it? Taking a shower with warm water can soothe your muscles and relieve stress, making it easier to fall asleep. It can not only help you relax and improve sleep quality but also help keep the mattress clean and promote better hygiene. Without a protector, repeated moisture exposure can lead to mattress mold and other damage to the mattress materials. When it comes to the health of your hair and skin, there may be a few other legitimate reasons to worry about water-logged locks.

Can Sleeping With Wet Hair Damage Your Strands?

So the most significant consideration with hair extensions is that you'll need to allow for more drying time, says hair extension expert Priscilla Valles. As a general guideline, Valles recommends washing your hair extensions at least several hours before bed to allow sufficient time for the hair to dry thoroughly. It’s also a good idea to swap pillowcases after you sleep on one with wet hair, to protect against the potential for increased microbial growth. Terri Rehkopf, stylist and founder of the San Antonio, TX-based Ippodaro Salon, has some very strong feelings about sleeping with wet hair. “If you’re not taking proper precautions, sleeping with wet hair can prevent you from having the hair of your dreams,” she says. Until recently, I had never thought about the effects of sleeping with wet hair beyond what weird shape my hair would take the next morning.

Others, like me, swear that going to bed with damp hair doesn’t have a huge effect on the strength of their hair and, perhaps, actually contributes to some nice wavy texture in the morning. This will give your hair time to air dry, so even if your strands aren't perfectly free of moisture, they're better than sopping wet. "I would love to mention that sleeping with 'wet' hair isn't great, but 'damp' hair, where there is some air and dryness throughout the hair, is fine," says Frances. One of the easiest ways to limit the amount you are sleeping on wet hair is to wet it less. Now, how much you shampoo your hair is a personal decision influenced by your scalp, hair type, and lifestyle.

Going to sleep with wet hair won’t make you sick – but it’s still a bad idea - Style

Going to sleep with wet hair won’t make you sick – but it’s still a bad idea.

Posted: Mon, 09 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

"But I don't think it's as much what you use as how you use it. You don't want to rough up your hair—rather than rubbing, gently squeeze the moisture out." "When hair is wet, it's more likely to break, so you want to be gentle and don't want to tear at your hair," says Quinlan. "And if your hair has been highlighted, you want to be especially careful with it when it's wet. Always start from the ends and work your way up while holding the section of hair you're working on in your hand." Geoff McKinnen is a writer focusing mainly on the healthcare industry and has written articles on everything from foods to help you lose weight to the connection between Alzheimer’s and sleep.

"I always brush my hair before the shower, when it's dry, to get the knots out," says stylist and colorist Siobhán Quinlan. Post-shower, you should comb your wet strands with a wide-tooth comb, or use a wet hair brush when hair is damp. Once you have thoroughly dried your hair, Ahram recommends sleeping on a silk pillowcase.

Those who are concerned about their risk of a fungal infection should talk to their doctor about their bedding and if sleeping with wet hair could pose a risk to their health. For a speedy bedtime blow-dry to avoid going to bed with wet hair, use argan oil to protect hair and speed up drying time, suggests Jordan Garrett, stylist at Daniel Hersheson. While it is generally safe to sleep with damp hair, going to bed with extremely wet hair can have drawbacks.