Why You Should Never Go To Bed With Wet Hair

Hair can take forever to dry, especially if it’s thick and/or long.

And sometimes, after a long day, the last thing you want to do is spend even more time blow-drying or air-drying your hair. It’s tempting to just go to bed with wet or damp hair and deal with it in the morning.

However, this is a big no-no for several reasons. In this post, we’ll explore why you might want to reconsider snoozing on damp hair.

8 reasons why you shouldn’t go to sleep with wet hair

1. Breakage and damage

Sleeping with wet hair is like playing Russian roulette with your locks. Your hair is already in a weakened state when it’s wet, and sleeping on it just adds insult to injury. You could wake up with a head full of split ends and damage that’ll take months to fix.

2. Scalp irritation and infection

Your scalp is like a delicate flower that needs to be tended to with care. Sleeping on hair that’s wet can create a damp environment that’s the perfect breeding ground for fungi and bacteria. Not only will you wake up with an itchy scalp, but you could also end up with a full-blown infection.

3. Frizz and flyaways

If you have curly or wavy hair, you know that frizz is the enemy. Going to bed with wet hair is like inviting frizz to a party. Your hair will dry in all sorts of weird directions, leaving you with flyaways that’ll make you look like you just stuck your finger in an electrical socket!

4. Moldy and dirty pillows and pillowcases

You may think you have a clean pillowcase, but think again. The dampness from your hair, as stated previously, is an ideal place for bacteria and fungus to grow. Who wants to wake up with a moldy, damp pillow? You’ll no doubt have to stick that bad boy into the washer.

5. You might catch a cold or the flu

We’ve all heard our mothers say it: “Don’t go outside with wet hair or you’ll catch a cold.” While that’s not entirely true, there is some truth to the idea that being damp and cold can weaken your immune system.

This is especially true if you’re already feeling under the weather. Going to bed with wet hair can lower your body temperature, making it harder for your body to fight off infections.

6. Styling in the morning might be difficult

Your hair, if it dried at all overnight, will be all over the place, and not in a good way. You might wake up with kinks, cowlicks, and frizz that is beyond your control.

Not to mention, if you have curly hair, sleeping with wet hair can cause your curls to flatten out, leaving you with a less-than-aesthetic mop on your head.

Styling your hair in the morning will end up taking longer than you anticipated, causing you to be late for work or school. And let’s face it, nobody wants to be that person who shows up to work looking like they just rolled out of bed (even if you did).

7. Your hair will smell bad

There’s nothing worse than waking up and realizing that your hair smells like a wet dog. When hair is wet for an extended period of time, it can start to develop a musty odor. Not only is it unpleasant for you, but it’s also unpleasant for anyone who has to be around you.

You might end up having to wash it all over again!

8. It’s uncomfortable

“Uncomfortable” is putting it mildly! Going to bed with damp hair is like sleeping in a wet bathing suit or a damp towel. Not only can it make you feel cold, but it can also make you feel clammy, sticky, and just downright yucky!

It’s hard to get a good night’s sleep when you’re tossing and turning through discomfort because your head’s lying in a wet patch of its own creation.

Final thoughts

We’ve all been there: we wash our hair a bit too late in the evening, we’re relying on nature to dry it for us, but by bed time, it’s still damp. So we have no choice but to hit the hay with wet hair. But as I hope I’ve demonstrated above, this isn’t the best idea.

From moldy pillows to a bad hair day, there are plenty of reasons to avoid going to bed while your hair’s still wet. So dry it, folks! And dry it well. You’ll be doing yourself a favor.