Learn about how to sleep with curly hair and also how to tie up curly hair without ruining it. I’ve also included info about the pineapple hairstyle for black girls!
Your curls may have come to you naturally, but over time your hair texture can change due to various factors and therefore, maintenance is key.
So, if you thought that you could jump into bed anytime, well, think twice if you are someone who really loves your curls!
For those with curly hair, there are many tips you could use before you go to sleep that will help keep your curls protected.
Why do curls lose shape when we sleep?
When we sleep, most often involuntarily we tend to move our head from side to side as we toss and turn in our sleep.
This can lead to friction caused between the hair strands that can damage them and in turn make them frizzy. For those with curly hair, this can also be a cause for the curls to lose shape over time.
If we sleep on a cotton pillowcase, there are chances that it can suck out all the moisture from the hair strands and over time, it can cause the curls to droop and lose shape.
Also, when the weight of the head rests upon the curly hair, it can tend to flatten out the curls making it lose its shape, while also matting up and making the curls look messy.
How To Sleep With Curly Hair
1. Keep your hair covered with a silk bonnet
One of the best ways to protect your curls is by keeping your head covered and even better, moisturizing your hair before you go to bed and then wrapping your hair up will definitely be the most effective as it will prevent damage to your curls while you sleep, while it can also prevent the loss of moisture from your hair.
Using a satin or silk scarf or head wrap to cover your hair while you sleep can help to a great extent. Another easy way out is by simply putting on a hair bonnet made of satin or silk.
Covering your hair will mean perfectly tucking in your curls.
So, while they remain well-moisturized, it will make sure that your curls are well maintained and retain their shape even when you sleep.
These methods can also help reduce the friction caused between the hair strands while you sleep, that can otherwise be a cause for hair damage and loss of curl pattern.
2. Use nighttime hairstyles that protect your hair
For those with curly hair, letting your hair loose while you go to bed can spell disaster to your curls, not only because it can ruin your curl pattern, but also because your hair can get extensively damaged and you will end up waking up with frizzy and tangled hair.
Trying your hair up into different protective hairstyles for while you sleep should be a daily routine for those with curly hair in order to maintain your curly locs.
Here are some of the best curl protective hairstyles to wear while you sleep.
Braids
You can either choose to tie your hair into a loose single braid or even better, tie your hair into two braids on either side of your hair (yes, school-girl style), for those of you who feel like a single braid may be uncomfortable for while you sleep.
Braids can help secure your hair for the whole night and avoid friction caused between the hair strands that can othwerwise ruin your curl pattern.
Make sure not to tie your braids too tight as it can mess up your curl pattern and also cause too much pressure to the hair follicles on the scalp resulting in hair loss.
Twists
Well, for those of you who didn’t like the idea of tying braids because you have no clue how to tie them, then do not worry, use the simple way out – hair twists. Yes, it is as simple as it sounds.
Simply partition your hair into two parts and starting at the root, begin twisting your hair until the tips. To secure the hair at the bottom, use a moisturizing hair cream, to keep your hair twist from unravelling.
If you have thicker hair, then you can divide your hair into two or three parts and then form two or three twists on your hair.
You could use a hair tie to secure the ends of your braids or hair twists, but it is not an often-recommended practice because hair ties can dent the hair if left on for long hours.
The infamous pineapple method
Well, the “pineapple” hairstyle is one that has been doing the rounds over the internet not only because of its catchy name, but also because it is a nighttime hairstyle that can help save your curls.
It is a super simple yet effective hairstyle to help keep your curls intact while you sleep. It can help prevent your curls from flattening out.
All you need to do is tilt your head downwards and flip your hair upside down, so it falls over your face. Then gather all your hair and tie it up loosely with a scrunchie. Now, what is important is the technique in which your hair is tied.
You need to tie your hair just above your forehead. The ponytail (for shorter hair) or loose bun (for longer hair) should be tied in between your forehead and the crown of your head, so that the “pineapple” portion of your hair falls right at the top of your head.
This ensures it doesn’t come in your way or fall under the weight of your head while you sleep, leaving your curls intact.
Loose buns
A loose messy bun is super easy and a quick way to tie up your hair just before you sleep. All you need to do is tuck your hair into a loose messy bun before you go to bed.
While a messy bun may not be the most effective way to save your curls, it can be used as one of the alternatives for those who do not want to use any of the other methods.
3. Switch your pillowcase material
If you do not wish to cover your head with a satin or silk scarf or bonnet, then your curly hair will be left exposed the entire night. Well, how about this simple solution – switch to using a satin or silk pillowcase.
While it may not be as effective as keeping your hair covered in a head wrap or bonnet, it will at least be more effective than using a cotton pillow cover as it will reduce the moisture loss from the hair and will also help reduce the friction caused between the hair strands to a large extent.
4. Sleep with dry hair
Sleeping with wet hair in general, irrespective of your hair type is bad for your hair. The hair strands are very fragile when they are wet and therefore can be susceptible to extensive hair damage and hair breakage.
So, for those with curly hair, when you sleep with wet hair, your hair strands will break or possibly dry out and end up looking frizzy the next morning, it could even mess up your curl pattern.
Hence, washing your hair at least two to three hours before you go to bed and making sure your hair is completely dry before you go to bed is very essential.
5. Try the ‘plop’ method
Well, while sleeping with wet or damp hair is not recommended, there are times when we do not have a choice and we do wash our hair right before we go to sleep.
Anyhow, on such days, you can still use the “plop” method to save your curls.
The hair plopping technique can help not just dry the hair up, but can also help preserve one’s curls when the hair is wet and avoid it from becoming frizzy when it dries up.
All you need is an oversized cotton t-shirt, long-sleeved preferably (or you can also use a microfibre towel or an old pillowcase) to dry your hair up, instead of using a regular towel to dry your hair.
Using the plop method can help preserve your curls as it will not stretch out your curls like a regular towel would, but it will keep your curls scrunched up at the top of your head.
So, to plop your hair, you will need to place your t-shirt flat on your bed or bathroom counter.
Once you have finished washing your hair, use a towel to get rid of the excess water, so that your hair is damp.
Then, scrunch up your hair and place it right in the middle of the t-shirt and gently wrap it around your head, wrapping all the hair in.
You can use the ends of the sleeves to fasten it around your head. You can leave it on overnight and this will help retain the shape of your curls. This method works best with 2C, 3A or 3B curl types.
Why You Should Trust Haireveryday?
The author of this article, Leah Marie Priest has a degree in Cosmetology with years of experience in dealing with hair care, scalp care, and hairstyling. As someone who extensively deals with all kinds of hair textures, products, styling methods and more, hair Leah Marie knows what kind of products and procedures suit each hair type and person. We have also tested these hair products and processes ourselves to provide you an unbiased review about every product. Each of our articles are also reviewed by a team of medical professionals so that you get the most accurate and expert-reviewed information.
The final takeaway
Well, for those curly haired people out there, I do hope you’ve finally found the solutions to help save your curly hair and protect it from damage.
Apart from nighttime hair care routines, if you wish to maintain the shape of your curls and make sure it isn’t frizzy when you wake up, then using overnight hair moisturizers should be your go-to option.
Also Read:
How To Get Volume in Curly Hair Using Clips
How To Part Curly Hair When Dry
How To Protect Hair While Sleeping
Reasons Your Hair Won’t Hold Curls Anymore
Affordable Curly Girl Method Products
To Summarize