How to Wear Your Hair to Bed: 9 Tips to Protect Your Hair

steph shep holding pink pillow on white background

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Beauty sleep, as a term, applies to more than just your skin. While we do spend plenty of time and effort investing in a nightly skincare regimen, prepping our locks for sleep is a step that can sometimes go overlooked. But while you snooze, your hair is vulnerable to many menacing factors. As we carry on through our REM cycles, our strands are defenseless against the environment—the room's humidity, the temperature, and even our pillows. How you tie it up and what you tie it up with all contribute to its well-being come morning, too.

Though we're not saying bedhead is completely avoidable, there are a handful of precautions you can take to ensure your hair is getting its best beauty sleep while you get yours. We tapped pro hairstylists Ashley Wahler, Fallon Toni Chavez, Scotty Cunha, and Kylee Heath to share their best tips for caring for hair before bed. Read on for what they advised.

Meet the Expert

  • Ashley Wahler is a color specialist and hairstylist based in Nashville.
  • Fallon Toni Chavez is a celebrity and editorial hairstylist and colorist based in California.
  • Scotty Cunha is a celebrity hairstylist notable for his work with the Kardashian-Jenners.
  • Kylee Heath is a celebrity hairstylist whose clients include Nicole Kidman, Awkwafina, and Ana de Armas.
01 of 09

Go to Bed With Clean Hair

Going to bed with clean hair not only ensures hair health but can help with the health of your skin, too. That's because sebum and oil from your hair can transfer to your pillow and clog your pores. Washing your hair before bed (and drying it, as we'll outline below) will also keep hair lightweight and not weighed down with leftover styling products.

02 of 09

Don't Sleep on Wet Hair

We've all been guilty of heading to bed soon after showering and falling asleep before our hair dries. Just as our mothers chided us for this bad habit when we were young, hairstylists scold us today for (still) doing it in our adult years. "I don't think you should go to bed with wet hair," says Cunha. "It's always more work in the morning because it can dry super crazy, and you will have to use extra tools like a flat iron or curling iron [creating] more damage in the long run."

If you must go to bed without letting your hair fully dry, Cunha recommends applying a super hydrating hair mask or conditioner before going to sleep.

03 of 09

Make Sure You're Moisturized

Healthy hair is well-moisturized hair, so be sure to take extra care after shampooing. "Comb your hair in the shower with a moisture conditioner like R+Co Atlantis Moisturizing B5 Conditioner ($35)," says Heath, who notes that this will help smooth the hair and ensure it's tangle-free.

04 of 09

Tie Up Your Hair

Sleeping with your hair down seems like the most natural way to go, but it can actually do more harm than good, especially for those with long hair. "Never go to bed without tying your hair up (for long hair), as loose hair can tangle," says Chavez. "Removing tangles later can cause breakage."

You can wear it in several ways, including a low ponytail or loose braid. Those with short hair (think a bob or shorter) can sleep with their hair down but should add protection via a hair bonnet or silk scarf tied around the head.

05 of 09

Style Before Sleep

Take a cue from Heath and style your hair before hitting the sheets. Air or blow-dry first, then brush the hair until it's smooth. Next, style it. "Create a center part and then comb it into a low ponytail," she says. Add a leave-in styling product, then braid the ponytail down. Your hair will be well-protected and, as a bonus, already styled when you wake up.

06 of 09

Opt for Silk or Satin Scrunchies

When those with long hair tie it up for the night, what they use to secure it makes a difference. "Stay away from metal and rubber hair ties," says Wahler, who notes that both materials can lead to unnecessary breakage. Use a scrunchie or tie made of silk or satin instead.

07 of 09

Wear a Scarf or Bonnet

If you're worried about breakage or messing up a style you worked hard to perfect, try wearing a satin-lined sleep cap or bonnet to bed. This will help protect any styling you've done—and help ward off frizz.

08 of 09

Sleep on a Silk Pillowcase

Your pillowcase has the potential to make a huge impression—literally. "Cotton is known to deplete moisture from the hair, leaving it dry and frizzy," says Wahler. She recommends switching out your cotton pillowcase for a silk option to prevent breakage and keep your hair looking healthy and shiny. You can also try a satin pillowcase, which tends to be more affordable.

09 of 09

Consider a Humidifier

We know the havoc a dry environment can wreak on our skin, but we don't often consider that it can have very similar—and equally negative—effects on our hair. If your bedroom is typically dry or if you have a heater on, your hair might suffer from the dry air. "Never go to bed with central heat on; that can dry your hair out," says Chavez. Consider investing in a humidifier to keep your locks from drying out (and to prevent other beauty woes like chapped lips and flaky skin). Bonus, humidifiers can benefit your skin too.

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