The health of the hair is a universal priority shared by pretty much everyone. You’d struggle to find  someone who wants to intentionally damage their hair, however most remain oblivious to many of the daily practices that are leading our locks straight down that very path. 

It’s true, we’ve all been there. A late night shampoo and condition followed by a night of blissful sleep.

Skipping the blow-dry may save on time and energy, and if you’re sleeping in a house or room with other people, it’s probably best to avoid the roar of the hairdryer at this hour.

And although you think you’re sleeping safe and sound, your soggy nighttime hair will be doing anything but. 

We’re all familiar with the old wives tales that sleeping with wet hair will make you ill, and although  there’s actually a distinct lack of evidence to support this strange and curious claim, there are some more serious side effects of sleeping with wet hair that you absolutely need to know about: 

Why Shouldn't You Sleep With Wet Hair 

It Causes Dandruff

We think and hope that we can all agree that dandruff just isn’t a good  look.

The thing about sleeping with wet hair is that the moisture has to go somewhere, and  unfortunately it will typically end up in the fibres of your pillowcase.

When this transition  happens, the fibres will take on not just the moisture from your hair, but it’ll steal away the natural oils too.

Natural oil is very important to the health of the hair, and a lack of it can cause  your locks to seem tired, dull and frazzled. 

When this experience is coupled with the growth of bacteria on your scalp from the prolonged  exposure to moisture, dandruff is inevitably produced.

So now you know, it’s not the wrong  shampoo that’s causing that white dusting, it’s what you’re doing after you wash your hair that’s the culprit! 

 Goodnight Wet Hair, Good Morning Bacteria

As we mentioned briefly in our previous point, the moisture from your wet hair has to end up somewhere, and the only place for it to go is into  your bedsheets and pillowcase.

Cotton sheets just love to absorb moisture, however satin alternatives appear to do a much better job of warding off leaking moisture; and from the skin too! 

And as we all know, if there’s one thing that bacteria and mould absolutely loves, it’s wet environments and warmth.

And although you can change your sheets every nights, it’s  unfortunately quite likely that the bacteria will already be very much at home in your once-fluffy pillow.

Now that you know about the bacteria, dirt, and mould that sleeping with wet hair produces, you’ll know why you should avoid the practice like the plague! 

Severe Breakage

Although it’s often advised to avoid heat and blow drys to better protect the  health of the hair, it should also be known that the hair is at its weakest when it’s wet.

And when we sleep with wet hair, we’re actually damaging it in the worst way possible!

The friction between your wet locks and the bed sheets will cause an unbelievable amount of breakage, especially as you toss and turn throughout the night. 

Even the smallest, slightest breakages have the ability to become much more damaging fractures, and things like split ends are a telltale sign of poor hair health.

And what’s more, the only way to relieve the experience is to either have your split ends chopped, or to do everything you can to prevent them from occurring; like not sleeping with wet hair! 

Acne

As we know that sleeping with wet hair causes bacteria and mould to grow in your  sheets, it should also be known that this cultivated bacteria very much has the ability to jump right back off your pillowcase and on to your skin.

It’s true, sleeping with wet hair is a major catalyst in the development of acne because of the bacteria it produces, carries, and spreads. But it’s time to break up with your breakouts and stop sleeping with soggy locks. 

More Time to Style

Although it might seem more time-efficient to wash your hair the night  before, the chances are that you’ll actually be spending more time in the morning trying to tame  your wild tresses.

When the hair is left wet, it dries in the position it’s left in. If this process were  to take place during your sleep, you can only imagine the terrible shape your hair will take  during this time; another thing you’ll need to tackle when you wake up in the morning. 

What To Do Instead of Sleeping With Wet Hair 

If reading the above has left you in a state of catatonic fear, fear not! There are plenty of things you  can do instead of settling to sleep with wet hair. 

Shower in the Morning 

One solution to this problem is to shower in the morning. This will  spare your bed sheets the bacteria, and spare your hair the breakages, split ends and dandruff. 

The only downside to this is that there’s not always time for everyone to enjoy a fresh shampoo  and condition in the morning; especially when it’s on a busy schedule.

To overcome this obstacle, it might be wise to revise your morning routine, so that the first meeting of the day is  with your shower. 

Blow Dry Your Hair

Perhaps one of the easiest ways to avoid sleeping with wet hair is to  undertake a homestyle blow dry. This will dry your hair completely within a matter of minutes, and is a convenient way to avoid the drip.

However, this advice should also be taken in heed.  Even the gentlest of blow drys will expose your hair to excessive amounts of heat, which will in  turn cause your locks to frazzle and split.

Blow drys are a really good solution to not sleeping with wet hair, but it should by no means be the only solution, and it certainly shouldn’t be used every day. 

Towel Wrap

Out of all the solutions we’ve discussed here, a towel wrap is by far our strongest recommendation. Not only do they stop other materials from absorbing moisture, but they also work to dry your hair as gently and as effortlessly as possible.

Although there are a lot of options out there in terms of towel wraps, the one we personally use is this absolutely darling Reversible Hair Turban.

The inside of the hair turban is made from a super-absorbent microfibre material, which laps up the moisture really quickly whilst also stopping the hair from being frazzled.

And can we just take a moment to fully appreciate the iconic palm tree design on the reverse - this ladies and gentlemen, is the way forward for a seamless and effortless drying experience. 

We hope that we’ve helped highlight some of the plights associated with wet hair nights. Perhaps you were suffering with some of the affects we mentioned above, like acne or dandruff, but had no idea why they were occurring.

Wet hair can be a very influential problem, but if you love and take good care of  your hair routine, your hair will love you right back. 

Discover more sleeping dos and don’ts by visiting our website: www.sleepsmug.com 

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