There are two kinds of people: those who shower at night and those who shower in the morning.  Personally, I love to shower in the morning, but I just can’t get in the habit of waking up early enough to do so.  I’ve been sleeping on wet hair several nights a week for most of my life.  The question is, is that a bad idea?  Many internet question boards are dedicated to the drama of whether or not your should sleep with wet hair.

There’s an old-wive’s tale floating around that sleeping on wet hair will make you sick.  Let me be the one to tell you that this is a myth: there’s nothing about wet hair that can harm you in that way.  If you slept with wet hair above the snow line in the Canadian Rockies in February, I can see you catching hypothermia.  But otherwise, it’s not a concern!

So, is there anything wrong with going to bed right after a shower?  After all, wet hair is more delicate than dry.  But basically, you’re facing  a toss-up between two potential types of damage: breakage from too much blow-drying, or breakage from tossing and turning on wet hair.  The middle path would be, if you’re showering at night, to allow yourself enough time for hair to air-dry.  But if that doesn’t happen, it’s really ok to do whatever you feel most comfortable doing; if a wet pillow doesn’t bug you, then go for it.  Try wrapping your hair in a soft microfiber towel to absorb as much water as possible.  If you really need to blow-dry, make sure to use protective products to prevent damage from too much heat.  It might be smart to switch off between wet and dry nights.

The best thing you can do when sleeping with wet hair is, again, to put it up in a braid or a loose bun.  Use a soft scrunchie instead of a thin, tight elastic that will cause unnecessary breakage.  Your hair may be slightly damp when you wake up in the morning, but that gives you a chance to style it properly, so it’s not such a bad thing.  It might be smart to change your pillowcase more often than usual, since moisture can attract dust and mold.

If you have some time, try putting your wet hair up on spongy rollers; you’ll wake up with bouncy curls.