A team of haircare experts have explained why you should never go to bed with your hair wet.

You may have heard of the old wives' tale that going to bed with damp hair will make you catch a cold.

And whilst this is not true, it doesn't mean going to bed with your hair wet is good for you.

To shed some light on why you should take the time to dry off before snuggling up in your sheets, the hair care team at Faith In Nature has shared some advice.

The experts have rounded up the top five reasons why they shouldn’t be sleeping with wet hair and one is particularly gross.

Hair breakage and damage 

As mentioned, our hair is weaker when it’s wet, making it more prone to breaking.

Unless you’re sleeping the entire night in the ‘soldier’ position, then the likelihood is that sleeping with wet hair will cause some damage. 

Our hair is largely made up of proteins called keratins, but when our hair is wet, these proteins form weaker bonds that make it easier to damage when our hair is brushed or otherwise roughly handled (like tossing and turning at night). 

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Scalp irritation and fungal infections

Sleeping with wet hair puts you more at risk of dandruff, scalp irritation, or even a nasty fungal infection.

Bacteria thrive in moist environments, so your wet pillow and scalp are a hotbed (no pun intended) for bacteria or fungi growth.

While this likely won’t develop immediately, repeatedly going to bed with wet hair could cause some problems for your scalp, including: 

  • Malassezia: This is a fungus that can lead to conditions like dandruff or dermatitis. It causes flakey skin, excess hair shedding, itchy red patches, or even crusts on the scalp that can cause hair loss. 
  • Scalp ringworm: This is another fungal infection that you’re at risk of when sleeping with wet hair. The fungi can get into the hair itself and not just your scalp, making it weaker and more prone to breakage. It can also cause an itchy, ring-shaped rash on your scalp. 
  • Staphylococcus: This is a bacteria that can cause the infection known as folliculitis. Folliculitis can cause red, inflamed bumps and even pus-filled pimples to develop around your hair follicles. 

Acne

Sleeping with wet hair can also cause skin problems, like acne, on your face and back. 

As a general rule of thumb, dermatologists advise that you change your pillowcase at least once a week, but if you’re going to bed with wet hair, you might want to consider doing it every single night. 

When our pillows become damp from wet hair, they can become an ideal environment for bacteria to thrive, which can have adverse effects on our skin and cause breakouts. 

For those with longer hair, it's best to sleep with your hair dry and pulled away from your face. 

Poor sleep quality 

While sleeping with wet hair probably won’t make you catch a cold - it will make you feel cold - and give you a worse quality of sleep. 

While being cold might seem like the dream, especially during a heatwave, feeling too cold (or too hot, for that matter) can affect your body’s internal temperature and cause you to have a poorer quality of sleep. 

And it probably goes without saying, but sleeping with a wet pillow isn’t exactly the most comfortable thing to do. 

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Dull hair 

When you’re sleeping with wet hair, your pillow can absorb a lot of your hair's natural oils as it dries. As a result, your hair may end up looking dull and feel dehydrated. 

When our hair is dehydrated, it's at even more risk of breakage. Some signs you might have dehydrated hair includes: 

  • Split ends 
  • Frizziness or dullness 
  • Lacking shine 
  • Tough to style
  • Itchy scalp 

How to sleep with wet hair without damaging it 

While Faith In Nature’s experts would always recommend going to bed with dry hair where possible, they’ve shared a few quick-fire tips on how to sleep with wet hair without damaging it: 

Silk pillowcase: to lower your risk of any scalp problems, try to use a pillowcase fabric, like silk, that doesn’t retain as much water when going to bed with wet hair. This will also help limit friction for hair breakage. 

Use a microfibre towel: try to towel dry your hair as much as possible before you go to bed. Try a microfibre towel over your normal one. Microfibre towels are far gentler on our hair than cotton ones, which will help decrease frizz and breakage. 

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Add as much time between washing and going to bed: the longer you can leave your hair to air dry, the better. Going to bed with damp hair is much better than going with it sopping wet. 

Blast it until it’s about 30% dry: Faith In Nature knows the thought of the hairdryer is what sends many people to bed with wet hair, but even blasting your hair on a cool setting until it's about 30% dry will help. 

Use a leave-in conditioner: to help prevent damage to your hair, consider using a leave-in conditioner when going to bed with your wet hair. This will help lock in the moisture and prevent dryness or damage.