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Protective Sleep Hairstyles To Avoid Hair Damage

Do you sleep with your hair down? 

Or wear your hair in a hairstyle for bed? 

While it may not be on your radar - sleeping with your hair out can actually cause damage to your hair. 

Don't stress - your favourite pillow isn't the culprit here. 

Hair damage can simply be caused by the friction of your cotton pillow case against your hair, when you toss and turn in your sleep. 

There's a couple of ways to remedy this. 

Some prefer to sleep on a silk pillow case to protect your hair from damage while you slumber. 

You can learn more about that here.

OR if the silky pillow case isn't your thing. 

There are hairstyles you can do to protect your hair from sleep-induced damage. 

Wearing your hair in protective hairstyles to bed is really important to avoid breakage and split ends - especially if you're trying to grow your hair long or have long hair. 

If you find your hair is matted and tangled when you wake up in the mornings, then you should definitely consider protecting your hair for bed. 

The bonus? 

Wearing your hair in hairstyles before bed doubles as a great way to heatless style your hair. 

So you can wake up with smooth, detangled, frizz-free hair. 

Continue reading to learn these handy tips for protecting your hair during sleep. 

But first, the prep.

After a day of exposing your hair to outside toxins and the climate, the first thing you want to do is detangle your hair. 

Using a detangling brush, comb through your hair until you can run your fingers through it. 

Additional option:

If you have a wooden boar bristle brush, you can use this to massage your scalp and then brush through the ends of your hair. 

This will distribute your scalp's natural oils down the hair cuticles for a natural condition, and helps cleanse your scalp at the same time. 

If you've read our hacks for healthier hair, you'll know it's crucial to keep a healthy scalp for hair growth. 

Hairstyle 1: A loose plait.

A really easy way to manage your hair overnight is with a loose plait. 

If you sleep on your back, you can do a side plait or even two plaits so that your not lying on top of the plait in your sleep. 

Make sure to use a scrunchie or coil hair tie that is gentle on your hair when tying your plait. 

If you like to wear your hair wavy, then this sleep-style is perfect for you. 

You'll wake up with kinky, wavy hair that you can put some styling product in and head out the door.

However if you like to wear your hair straight, there are other hairstyles you can do to protect your hair without any plait-induced waves. 

Hairstyle 2: Twisted top bun.

To keep your hair on the straighter side while you sleep, a top bun is a great option.

Twist all your hair on top of your head and secure it with a claw clip.

Make sure the clip is positioned at the front of your bun so you're head isn't resting on the clip when you sleep. 

If you're goal is to get more volume in your hair, this style is for you.

Sleeping with your hair above your head all night will result in a volume boost when you take your hair out in the morning!

Hairstyle 3: Twisted rope braid.

For soft, textured waves, try a twisted rope braid before bed. 

To do this, separate your hair in two sections. 

Grab one section of hair and twist, then repeat with the other section.

Once your two sections are twisted, twist the two sections together so that your hair looks like a rope. 

Secure with a hair gentle hair tie once again. 

Bonus pre-sleep hair care tips:

• Massage your head before bed. It helps stimulate blood flow to your scalp for healthy hair growth.
• Oil your hair twice a week for extra hydration. If your hair is on the dry side, you'll want to keep your hair moisturised to protect from breakage and split ends. You can do this by using a hair oil or natural oil like coconut oil on your hair once or twice a week. Massage the oil through your scalp to the ends of your hair, then wear your hair in a loose braid. Hack: Sleep on an old pillow case so you don't stain your good linen with hair oil.
• Avoid sleeping with wet hair! Our hair is much more fragile when it's wet, especially after a hot shower. The hot water opens up our hair follicles, making them more sensitive to damage. If you wash your hair at night, it's best to time it so that your hair has time to dry naturally before bed. That way you can avoid any heat damage from blow drying too. 

Loved these hair tips? You might also love these 3 tips to naturally fuller, thicker hair. 

Written by Taryn