People Told Glam Their Favorite Way To Keep Their Hair While Sleeping - Exclusive Survey
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When it comes to haircare, there are a lot of considerations. What kind of products do you need? What about heat styling? How can you best embrace your hair's natural texture? Chances are, you focus most on the health of your hair when shampooing or styling it. But many people overlook that there's another important time to consider what's best for your hair: bedtime.
Especially if you have long hair, the way you sleep could have a wider impact on both your nighttime comfort levels and the well-being of your tresses (per Healthline). Wearing your hair down in bed could leave you feeling hot and tangled, but tying it back could lead to uncomfortable lumps, plus risk friction and damage if tied too tight.
"Believe it or not you can do damage to your hair when sleeping," Mary Rascon, creative director and owner of Cambio Salon and Spa, tells StyleCaster. "We see so many people who spend a good deal of money on great haircuts, color, and care products, then turn in for the night with a ponytail tied with an elastic band. That elastic band will put undue stress on your hair shaft and roots."
So what is the best way to manage those flowing locks at night? To a certain degree, that's a matter of hair type and preference. To find out more, we polled 602 Glam readers about their favorite way to keep their hair while sleeping. Here's what we learned.
Loose hair, don't care
Loose hair may have a tendency to go everywhere overnight, but it seems that doesn't bother our legion of Glam readers. According to our survey, an overwhelming 51.5% of people prefer to wear their hair completely down while sleeping.
According to Vēdix, a purveyor of Ayurvedic haircare products, sleeping with your hair loose is ideal for shorter styles, as air can flow freely around your scalp and keep you cool and comfortable. And even if you have longer locks, there are other tips you can employ to keep your loose hair looking its best. For instance, Healthline suggests that silk or satin pillowcases may be gentler on your hair strands than regular cotton sheets, thanks to reduced friction. It's also best to go to bed with completely dry hair, which is stronger and less damage-prone than when wet.
Of course, not everyone is comfortable contending with loose hair all night — even if it seems to be the most widespread bedtime option overall. Instead, some sleepers like to keep their hair under wraps. And when it comes to protective overnight styles, there are a few methods vying for popularity amongst readers.
Readers also love buns, bonnets, and braids
If nearly 52% of respondents prefer their hair down while sleeping, it stands to reason that the other 48% have some technique for keeping their hair wrangled. Based on the answers from our Glam survey, it seems that there are three front-runners in close contention for the next most popular nighttime style.
97 people, making up about 16% of all answers, report that a bun is their favorite way to wear their hair for peaceful sleep. But bonnets — like the Grace Eleyae Satin-Lined Knot Turban featured among Oprah's 2022 beauty picks — aren't far behind buns, winning 15% of the vote.
Meanwhile, nearly 13% of readers cite good old-fashioned braids as their sleep style of choice. Not only does this keep your tresses from tangling, but it can also create beachy waves for tomorrow's good hair day. And Luxy Hair points out that braids can help protect the ends of your hair from friction and breakage.
Finally, less than 5% of the votes went toward scarves as a way to tie up hair overnight, suggesting that these fun fashion accessories are better suited to daytime looks.