Is It Bad To Sleep With Wet Hair? Experts Share Their Hair Care & Styling Advice

Night showerers, gather. There's one notorious downside to an evening rinse that many—especially if you have longer hair that takes a while to dry—often complain about: Going to bed with wet hair.

It's a habit born of necessity: Some of us simply cannot wait out the time between our nightly wash and bedtime and thus have to sleep with damp strands. (This is especially true if you air dry and loathe putting a blow dryer to your hair.) And yet, so many still feel somewhat guilty about this hair care habit. I know I do!

Just mentioning that you frequently go to bed with wet hair will trigger terrified faces from most hair stylists: It's something that is widely considered a no-go.

But, c'mon, is it really that bad? And even if it's not ideal for strands, is there any way to make it better for the nights there's really no other option? Or are you—gasp—going to be forced into a life of morning showers for good?

OK, so yes, there is truth that sleeping with wet hair isn't the best way to treat hair or skin.

"Simply put, hair is at its most vulnerable when wet. Sleeping with wet hair can lead to a host of problems for the scalp: unwanted bacteria, fungal infections, skin irritation, itchiness, dryness, redness, and dandruff," says hairstylist Miko Branch, co-founder of hair care brand Miss Jessie's. "Also, it can damage the hair cuticle, flatten strands, create an unpleasant hair odor (dampness mixed with natural sweat) and leave you with a matted mess of hair."

So sounds, ahem, not great. However, most stylists will also agree that there's certainly some nuance here.

"I think something like this is case by case," says hairstylist Marcus Frances, an ambassador for hair care brand Better Natured. "Yes, when the hair is damp it usually is more fragile so the friction against your pillow can, not always, further weaken the hair causing split ends or breakage. But this tends to be a bigger concern for those who already have really damaged hair. If that's not you, you'll probably find you don't run into these issues."

One of the easiest ways to limit the amount you are sleeping on wet hair is to wet it less. Now, how much you shampoo your hair is a personal decision influenced by your scalp, hair type, and lifestyle.

For those with textured or curly hair, Branch suggests that you really should be limiting the amount that you get your hair wet.

Be honest with yourself: Is the fact that you're going to bed with soaking hair due to the fact that you literally have no other time to shower than right before bed, or is it true that you could have rinsed earlier and just put it off?

If the former: Life happens and so do busy schedules; you'll receive no judgment here. If the latter: Consider inching up your shower into earlier in the evening. 

This will give your hair time to air dry, so even if your strands aren't perfectly free of moisture, they're better than sopping wet. "I would love to mention that sleeping with 'wet' hair isn't great, but 'damp' hair, where there is some air and dryness throughout the hair, is fine," says Frances.

Silk sleeping accessories aren't just luxe-looking (although, they're definitely that too); they can also help keep your strands strong, hydrated, and smooth.

One concern is that sleeping on wet hair just means you're waking up to hair that needs to be restyled with hot tools. Not true!

"For someone who likes to keep their natural texture, sleeping with damp hair can actually be great, style-wise. There's something about when you sleep on your hair that creates a more natural version to your texture that is hard to replicate with tools or products," says Frances.