Hairstyles you can go to sleep in and still look great
For some people, particularly those with longer hair, it isn’t always convenient or helpful to wear your hair down whilst you're asleep. It can be prone to tangling, making your morning routine more time consuming and complicated than necessary. Friction can be an issue. In order to combat some of the more negative consequences of wearing your hair loose in bed, we’ve collated a short list of the most effective, protective styles, each with different benefits.
Night-time hair care regime
Perhaps the first thing to say on this topic is that it is really important to have a night-time routine for your hair that includes making sure it is thoroughly dry and detangled. You can achieve this by applying hair oil or serum once or twice a week and massaging your scalp. Sleeping on a satin or silk pillowcase is also recommended, as is wearing a satin cap to sleep in, particularly if your hair is prone to being frizzy. If you do choose to tie your hair back to sleep, don't use rubber or metal fastenings. These can damage your hair and cause discomfort, opt for a nice soft scrunchie.
Protective styles
Low pony
The simplest of our suggestions and one of the most comfortable is the low pony. Simply pull all of your hair together at the nape of your neck and fix it with a soft bobble or scrunchie. Don’t fasten it too tightly, just let it hang loosely down. This keeps it from falling all over the place but shouldn't affect the quality of your sleep, be uncomfortable or restrictive.
French plait
French plaits are a quick enough task for an experienced braider but a bit more time-consuming for someone new to the art. This style holds your hair neatly together all over and is one of the best for preventing tangling or frizz. Unlike the low single plait, this begins right on top of your head, towards the front, and sees new hair being drawn into each alternative crossover.
Low single plait
There is no need for this to be overly tight. A nice, loose, low plait will provide a good level of protection for your hair whilst also being comfortable. It will also give your hair a little bit of volume and a few waves in the morning. Pull your hair to the centre at the nape of your neck and split into 3 roughly equal sections, crossing one over the other alternately to create a traditional plait.
Pigtails
A cute and youthful look by day, this style is also a handy one for your sleeping hours too. Simply separate your hair evenly down the centre at the top and down the back of your head and then tie each section back loosely with a soft elastic or bobble.
A ‘bed bun’
In simple terms, this is a high bun that hasn't been fastened up too tightly. Using your fingers, gather all your hair together and sweep it up onto the top of your head, fixing it in position with a nice soft scrunchie or similar. An added benefit of this is that it will also add extra volume to your hair the following day when you let it down again.
