5 Of The Most Comfortable Hairstyles For Sleeping

Hair can be a hassle while sleeping. If it's pulled back too tightly, it can tug and snag during the night. Not only can this be uncomfortable while sleeping, it can also damage hair by causing breakage. Certain hairstyles, particularly ponytails, can also leave bends in hair so that it looks kinked and uneven when you wake up. But there are solutions. From bonnets to braids to leaving it down long and loose, people have opinions about what works best.

The hair methods we've sourced are both protective and comfortable. What good is a sleeping hairstyle that's comfortable but damages hair in the long run? Our aim here is to achieve both, since hair health is of the utmost importance. Hair changes as a person ages, and it's imperative to respond to those changes. Maintaining hair health at any age, but even in your 50s and beyond, means you'll have strong, lustrous locks for decades. So with that in mind, there are a few basic rules of thumb for best hair care while sleeping. The fabric of your pillow case matters. There are beauty pros and cons to the debate over satin or silk pillowcases, but one or the other is worth it to avoid hair friction. Also, be sure to brush hair and apply a light oil to the ends before bed to amp up moisture. So with comfort and hair health in mind, we've sourced the best hairstyles that ensure an uninterrupted sleep and great hair the next day.

For those with curly hair, there are a few popular methods for care while sleeping. On Reddit, in the group r/curlyhair, people shared advice on how to sleep so that a person doesn't wake up with bed head or feel forced to shower and style their hair from scratch the next morning. The most consistent thing that came up was a silk or satin bonnet as a way to protect curls and keep hair from experiencing too much friction during the night. Adding a variation, one person wrote, "Pineapple + satin bonnet. I use an invisibobble for the pineapple. It holds it well and doesn't leave any crease." The pineapple ponytail is a very high, very loose ponytail on the top of the head to keep curly hair from being squashed throughout the night. Another person suggested a t-shirt turban to wrap hair and keep it lifted. 

On YouTube, curly hair expert Gena Marie said that for those who don't like bonnets, a buff is a great solution. "A buff is basically a tube of material that is open on both ends," Gena Marie explained. She said that a buff can be worn around the hairline with hair sticking out at the end, or it can be tied at the end so that curly hair is secured. The latter method is ideal for those with shorter curly hair. She suggested experimenting with both ways to see what feels and looks best for each person. 

Protecting straight hair throughout the night — and finding a sleep method that's comfortable — comes with its own set of concerns; this applies to those with naturally straight hair or those who recently styled it in a sleek blow out. Straight hair shows kinks and bumps, so it's important to find ways to keep it smooth throughout the night. 

Rush Hair and Beauty, based in the U.K., had very specific tricks to get a comfortable sleep while maintaining the integrity of straight hair. Hair wrapping is a popular technique; brush hair and apply a serum to the ends. Then, starting at the crown of the head, use a wide tooth comb to wrap hair around the head in a circular motion. You can use metal clips to secure hair during the process. Then secure the hair with a silk scarf and remove the metal clips. This keeps hair protected from friction while ensuring that strands will be silky smooth the next morning. On Reddit, people were full of tips and tricks. Many recommended using a "tubi" hair wrap, like a mesh or crochet net to secure the hair after wrapping it. Another also recommended a silk bonnet. "Get a silk scrunchie and a long bonnet ... It stays untangled, and the silk scrunchie leaves no trace (I don't put it on tightly, and I put it in a low pony)," they wrote. That keeps hair secure. 

For those with shorter hair, from a bob to a pixie cut, a silk sleep cap is widely considered a comfortable and protective solution. On Reddit, under the group r/TheGirlSurvivalGuide, people shared their experiences. One person wrote that with short hair, a sleep cap kept things in place. "While technically still 'down,' it didn't get all in my face and all tangly so it didn't bother me much," they wrote. Another praised the efficacy of a satin bonnet. "Hair pins and a satin bonnet do wonders," a Reddit user began. "It takes a bit to find a bonnet that works for you. My sister likes a tie one. I like the elastic ones. I just pin the short stuff and the back so I don't look like a peacock in the morning." 

Keeping hair out of the face is an important comfort factor for all, but especially for those with short hair. For many, nighttime is the time to load up on lotions, serums and oils on the face, so it feels good to get hair out of the face so that facial products don't get all over the hair; nothing is quite as icky as having hair stuck to your face during the night because of skincare products. So pulling hair away from the face, either by a silk sleep cap or a bonnet, is a great solution. 

For those with very long hair, sleep routines are a different thing. With so much hair, it's helpful to secure it so that you or your partner don't pull on it in the night. It's also a good idea to avoid the chore of combing out tangles in the morning. The Reddit group r/longhair had some wonderful words of wisdom. "Loose scrunchie, high loose bun. Satin scrunchies are my favorite, they slide right out in the morning," one person wrote. A silk or satin scrunchie also mitigates the annoyance of creases and ponytail lines in the hair the next morning. 

Others had further thoughts. In addition to a satin scrunchie, one user praised the efficacy of a silk scarf. "I do the same thing, but also use a satin or silk scarf or a buff," they began. "It protects the hair at the back of my head, so I have less damage back there. It's 360 degrees protection. And protects my hair from snarling at the nape of my neck." Others spoke about the comfort of a loose braid for sleeping. According to VS Sassoon, this is also a safe method for hair health. So if you want to keep things simple, a loose braid is another option.

For those with box braids, securing them comfortably throughout the night requires a few steps, though nothing terribly complicated. According to Angiebee on YouTube, the most comfortable method starts with dividing your braids into two sections. Cross the two sections over each other at the base of the head and bring the two sections around to the front. Then secure the ends with an elastic; a spiral hair tie or telephone chord hair tie works well because it doesn't create bumps in the hair. Then secure a bonnet over the hair. This prevents frizz because the sleep style reduces friction. 

On Reddit, some mentioned that their braids were too short to successfully do this criss-cross method. As always, someone on Reddit had a solution. "Oh then you can just let them loose in the bonnet! It's easier when the braids are shorter," someone commented. So whatever length of braids a person has, a bonnet is a secure and comfortable way to keep them in place throughout the night.