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Did you know that you damage your hair more during your 8 hours of beauty sleep than you do for the rest of the day?
And, during the night your hair will experience an unsettling amount of friction (unless you use a good silk pillowcase) which can break your hair apart, leaving it scattered all over your pillowcase in the morning.
A great deal of your hair's protection at nighttime comes down to which protective sleep hairstyle you use when you're sleeping.
And if you're new to this, then you're in the right place.
In this post I'll share my top 10 protective sleep hairstyles, paired with expert nighttime haircare advice to keep your hair damage free while you sleep.
A protective sleep hairstyle protects your hair from a variety of nighttime issues, while caring for it. Some hair slumber issues are:
In addition to this, the right protective sleep hairstyle will also help your hair by:
No two protective sleep hairstyles are the same. What hairstyles you should sleep in depends entirely on the following:
Below are 10 protective sleep hairstyles and nighttime haircare advice. This will help you choose the protective sleeping hairstyle that best suits your needs/wants, hair type, and current hair situation.
The loose plait is an incredibly easy way to manage your hair overnight, especially for back and side sleepers as it lays flat.
This nighttime hairstyle is suitable for all hair lengths and thicknesses, and will ensure you wake up with a pretty, slightly wavy hairstyle.
Benefits:
This protective sleep hairstyle maintains various kinds of hairstyles while preventing any hair bends or dents come morning.
It's suitable for all hair thicknesses, however it's ideal for girls with long hair.
Benefits:
A silk sleeping cap is a godsend for anyone who wants to keep their hair smooth, frizz-free, and tangle-free all night. Also, this may be one of the best protective sleep hairstyles for short hair.
Turn each sleep into an 8-hour haircare routine. If you don’t want to invest in a silk pillowcase yet, a sleep cap is your next best bet.
Silk is naturally smooth texture which reduces friction against your hair. It acts as a barrier against breakage and helps you get softer hair—naturally.
It's one of the many affordable luxuries that you really can't afford to live without.
Benefits:
Nourishing your hair with natural oils is like feeding your body with vitamins—essential for vitality and health. Doing it before putting your hair up into a loose bun? Total game-changer.
The right oil can work wonders, from healing an unhealthy scalp to imparting a silky sheen to your tresses.
Treating your hair with oils can be crucial in winning the nightly battle of protecting your hair.
Benefits:
Let's face it: after a late-night shower, the temptation to hit the sheets with damp hair is strong. But remember, wet hair is more fragile and prone to breakage.
If you aim to maintain those luscious locks, drying your hair before bedtime is crucial. Don’t have time to use a blow dryer? Don’t worry, there’s a right way to sleep with wet hair.
Get a silk scarf or handkerchief, put all your hair in the scarf, wrap the two ends together and secure them with a few loose pins.
This trick will help your hair dry while you sleep and prevent breakage and split ends. Win-win!
Benefits:
Here’s another good protective sleep hairstyle for wet hair: heatless overnight curls.
Not only is this nighttime hairstyle perfect for wet/damp hair, it's also an excellent way of adding curls or waves to your hair without heat styling.
Benefits:
While festival hair trends like glitter roots and space buns are fun, there's one style that stands out because of its practical value: the Dutch braid.
Not only does it flaunt a unique aesthetic, but it's also one of the best protective sleep hairstyles for curly hair.
It's like having the best of both worlds: fashion and function.
Even if you have a diamond face shape, these braids can beautifully frame and complement your features. Let's get ready to master this protective sleep hairstyle for curly hair.
Benefits:
Note: The video was made for creating dutch festival braids with Halo Hair Extensions, however you can also create this style as a protective sleep hairstyle sans halo hair extensions and other decorations.
The Princess Jasmine Ponytail, inspired by the enchanting world of Agrabah, isn’t just a visual treat; it's a functional marvel.
This ponytail style isn't just easy to achieve, but it also offers a touch of royal flair. Especially ideal as a protective sleep hairstyle for curly hair, it can be a lifesaver for those struggling with an oily hair day or simply wanting a change.
Best of all? It’s one of the easy protective hairstyles for sleeping that doesn't sacrifice style for comfort.
Benefits:
For those yearning for a touch of indie flair, boho braids are your go-to. These aren’t just chic; they're amongst the best protective sleep hairstyles for wavy hair, ensuring you wake up with perfectly tousled waves without the fuss.
This is the perfect protective sleep hairstyle for side and front sleepers. And it works for fine and thick hair types.
Benefits:
Long hair can sometimes have a mind of its own. But for all my long-haired friends out there, the twisted rope braid is your saving grace.
Not only is it one of the best protective hairstyles to sleep in, but it also ensures your hair remains tangle-free throughout the night, so you can wake up feeling more Rapunzel and less witch from the woods.
Benefits:
Most hair care related hacks will give you a small incremental gain in terms of hair health. And some will give you a big gain. Protective sleep hairstyles are one of those things that give you BIG gains.
Aside from the right protective sleep hairstyle for your hair type and sleep style, i would also suggest that it makes sense to invest in a good silk pillowcase to protect your hair. You will be surprised at how effective they are.
Absolutely! Braids, especially styles like the Dutch festival braids or twisted rope braid, can help reduce friction and tangling.
The amount of hair that someone may lose during sleep varies from person to person. However, in general the average person is said to lose 100 strands of hair per day. And depending on what you do with your hair during the day, a lot of that hair may come out at night, while you're tossing and turning.
A good protective hair sleep style is meant to minimise the amount of hair fall you experience at night, whilst also minimising other factors like friction, tugging/pulling, and more.
Having beautiful hair isn’t just about the right products or the perfect cut; it’s also about how you treat it overnight.
Whether you have straight, wavy, curly, fine, or long hair, there's a protective sleep hairstyle out there for you.
And remember, a little oil and that luxurious silk pillowcase can make all the difference. Sweet dreams and even sweeter hair days ahead!