You enjoy taking a long, relaxing shower at night and giving your curls a nice wash to avoid doing so in the morning to prevent being late for an important event or not going through that hassle as you’ll probably be sleeping in.
Nevertheless, the curls never emerge as anticipated; you wake up with flattened curls and a head that resembles a rat’s nest. You’ve done everything possible to make it work, yet it still doesn’t. Not to worry anymore! I’ll share tips and processes on waking up to a beautiful head of banging curls when you go to bed with wet hair.
Overnight Curly Hair Wash Routine
Being able to wash and style our curls at night should be considered a life hack because it saves us a ton of time in the morning routine and ensures that our curls look beautiful and healthy when we awaken. How well your nightly washing process significantly influences how your curls turn out.
Start by washing with a sulfate free or clarifying shampoo. Sulfates are excellent cleansers, but their effectiveness results in oil and moisture loss from the hair scalp.
During the shampooing process, concentrate on massaging the scalp as it helps promote blood flow, stimulating the production of new hair. Next, add in conditioner solely focusing on the ends of the hair. Using your fingers or a wide tooth comb, delicately detangle conditioned hair, let the product sit in for 5 minutes or longer, depending on the product description, and give a thorough rinse.
How to Sleep with Wet Curly Hair
Now that you have soaking wet curls, you could squeeze out the excess water or go ahead to apply styling products. It all comes down to what works best for you. When applying products to hair dripping wet, be sure to cup the curls and squeeze up toward the root to remove excess water, which helps the product penetrate the hair more deeply.
Plopping Method
Use a light T-shirt or, better yet, a microfiber towel to squeeze out the extra water from your hair instead of using a towel to dry it out. Microfiber towels are lint-free and have a large capacity for water absorption. While using a towel would irritate the hair, generating more frizz and hair breakage, choosing a softer cloth lessens friction and lowers the risk of hair damage.
Towel or shirt placement: Lay the t-shirt or towel on the bed or a surface. Flip your hair forward so the dangling strands fall in the middle of your t-shirt or towel. For your hair to stay in place, fold the towel or shirt over it and tie it.
Leave the curls in a t-shirt or towel for 15- 30 minutes. Then, remove the t-shirt, lay down a satin scarf, and tie it in a double knot at the nape of your neck. Gather the other end of the scarf, assemble your hair so it is at the top of your head, and then wrap it around the nape before tying it in two knots.
This procedure gives the curls plenty of opportunities to move and flip from side to side, so if you notice that you kind of look like a mushroom, you probably did it correctly.
Is it good to sleep on wet curls? It is not advisable to sleep with wet curls, even though this procedure has been touted to produce excellent results. A yeast infection on the scalp can result from sleeping with wet hair, and this is so because warm, humid settings are ideal for the growth of both yeast forms—Candida and Malassezia.
The Best Way to Sleep with Wet Curls
The biggest tip to sleeping with wet curls is not to!
Sleep with dry curls to prevent causing any harm to your hair; after partially drying with a towel or t-shirt, add your preferred styling products to damp hair.
Use a leave-in conditioner to hydrate and preserve the health of your hair all day long; it doesn’t require rinsing. Use light-weight products and mist oils into the curls to keep them appearing hydrated. Apply a mouse for a better hold, and then add your preferred curling cream or gel for more defined curls. Try finger curling if you want to add extra volume.
Using a Diffuser
Diffuse hair until it is completely dry. If you don’t have enough time for your hair to dry before night completely, I don’t advise air drying.
A diffuser is a blow-dryer attachment that distributes air evenly throughout your curls and encourages natural air drying. A diffuser increases volume, reduces frizz, and preserves the curl pattern.
You don’t want to diffuse too long. Start with high heat and low setting, in a circulating motion, and at a safe distance, hover the diffuser facing downwards towards your hair roots.
When your arms feel weak or tired, support the dryer in a comfortable position. While aiming the diffuser, make slight head motions and swing your hair from side to side. Before diffusing, be sure to use a heat protectant to maintain the health of your hair. It’s time for bed now that you’ve done drying your hair. If you observe a gel cast, do not fiddle with it.
Sleeping with Silk
Gather your hair at the top of your head and tie the satin or cotton scrunchie around it. Be careful not to tug or make the pineapple too tight during the process. If you are concerned about your curls flattening, you might also choose to do some braids, twists, or a loose bun. After this, you might tie a silk scarf around your hair or wear a satin bonnet.
Your hair loses moisture when you sleep because your sheets absorb the natural oils in your hair. Wrap your curls in a silk scarf or wear a satin bonnet to prevent moisture loss. Silk keeps your hair hydrated and nourished because it doesn’t absorb moisture or styling products. While you sleep, curls effortlessly float over silk, eliminating friction that causes hair loss, knots, frizz, and split ends.
The Morning Routine
Unravel the scarf and remove the bonnet. Give your curls a good shake to wake them up. If any touch-ups are required, wait until the curls have had a chance to settle, and If necessary, pour a little water into your hands, then pick up any frizzy or crooked curls and smooth them over.
Avoid misting your hair with water and make use of damp hands. You can add a small amount of gel to your wet hands and smooth over any places you believe you missed applying product to the night before or with noticeable frizz.
Add in a little sea salt spray to help further shape the curls, and If you want extra volume, use your fingers to shake out the roots for more volume gently.
When applying gel or spray to your hair, you may notice that your curls have a crunch, leaving your hair feeling somewhat crispy. Squeeze a tiny bit of hair serum into your hands, then gently scrunch your hair to remove the crunch. Because specific curls are delicate, fold the hair ends up and mildly compress them.