Are you damaging your hair in your sleep? 7 tips to protect your hair at night

When it comes to our nightly beauty routine, we often have a carefully planned out skincare regime - complete with every elixir under the sun and unicorn tears - but then pop our hair into a bun and call it a day. Unfortunately, you might have some bad bedtime habits that are damaging your hair without you realising. Read on to find out what you can do to protect your hair while you sleep for the shiny, glossy hair of dreams.

 

1. Change your pillowcase

 

If you use a cotton pillowcase the fabric might be snagging on your hair as you move during your sleep, causing breakage. Even if you think you’re a calm sleeper who barely moves, chances are you’re more restless than you realise during your nightly shut-eye.

 

You might’ve heard influencers or magazines saying that silk pillows are good for your hair and skin, this may be true but we prefer bamboo pillowcases because they have the same benefits but they’re also vegan and sustainable. The smooth surface of bamboo pillowcases has less friction that their cotton counterparts, so your hair stays smooth and strong.

 

Less breakage, less frizz, more shine!

 

Pssst, you might also need to wash your pillowcase more frequently too. Have a spare set and aim for once a week so your not sleeping in nasty bacteria, dirt and oil.

 

2. Dry your hair fully before bed

 

It might be a time saver to wash your hair at night before bed, but going to bed with your hair wet can cause severe breakage, not to mention a bacteria cesspool on your pillow.

 

Wet hair is much weaker than dry hair and prone to breakage, combine that with the tossing and turning of sleep and you have a breakage bonanza.

 

Going to bed with wet hair is also like sending an open invite to bacteria to come and hang out on your pillow. Bacteria love warm, damp places, and your wet hair dampening the pillow coupled with the heat produced from your head provide exactly the type of environment they thrive in. Even if you wash your pillowcase after chances are the bacteria is still in your pillow, and laying your head down on a bacteria filled pillow each night could have the nasty outcomes of contributing to dandruff or acne. Not ideal.

 

Wash your hair earlier in the evening so there’s ample time for it to dry, or use a heat protector and hair dryer to make sure your hair is fully dry before jumping into bed.

 

3. Let your hair down

 

Friction on your hair is a big culprit of breakage that happens while you sleep. Keeping your hair up when you sleep adds to this and also tugs at your scalp and hair follicles, which can contribute to hair loss, hair thinning and an irritated scalp.

 

Let your hair down for a carefree sleep free from breakage.

 

4. Or use a scrunchie

 

If you simply must put your hair up at night, opt for a scrunchie instead of an elastic, they won’t tug on your hair like elastics or pull out strands. For a sustainable option try Bar None's Biodegradable Scrunchie.

 

5. Use an overnight treatment

 

If you’re getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep every night this is the perfect opportunity to give your hair a long, deep nourishing treatment that will make it feel rejuvenated, healthy and silky smooth. We recommend an overnight treatment once or twice a week to see lasting benefits in your hair health and vitality.

 

Our Briteplex Blueberry Hair Masque repairs the bonds broken by colouring and heat styling and can be used as an overnight for a more intense treatment.

 

6. Brush before bed

 

Using a detangling brush before bed will get out any little knots or tangles that might catch and break while you sleep. Start detangling from your ends and work your way up your hair in sections, rather than going from your roots down.

 

 

7. Give yourself a head massage

 

Yep, treat yourself! Giving yourself a head massage for a few minutes each night not only feels great and helps relieve stress, it also stimulates blood flow to your scalp and promotes healthy hair growth.

 

Use your fingertips and make small circular motions as if you were applying shampoo. It only takes a few minutes to get the benefits.