Want to help the health of your hair while you sleep? Well you’re in luck, because I have some protective hairstyles +  hair care tips that will keep your hair healthy and beautiful!

Wearing protective hairstyles to bed is really important to prevent breakage and split ends. If you have long hair or are trying to grow your hair out this is especially important. Wearing your hair down when you sleep will likely result in matts or tangles and the friction from tossing and turning at night can be very damaging to the hair. Here are a few of my favourite tip to protect your hair:

BRUSH YOUR HAIR BEFORE BED: Always start by brushing your hair before bed. Brushing your scalp stimulates blood circulation which will promote healthy hair growth, so it’s a wonderful practise to add into your nightly routine. I recommend using a wooden brush to distribute your hair’s natural oils and massage the scalp . You want your hair to be detangled before you go to bed so you don’t have to wake up and brush out a bunch of knots.

BRAID YOUR HAIR: A regular loose braid, tied off with a soft tie, is a wonderful way to wear your hair to bed. If you sleep on your back I recommend putting your hair in a side braid so it doesn’t rub. If you sleep on your side I recommend wearing a braid to the back or to the opposite side so it doesn’t rub. You can also add a dab of a nourishing natural oil (like this) to the ends and let it soak in while you sleep.

WEAR A TWISTED ROPE BRAID: Braids are great but will leave a wave/crimp in your hair. If you’re wanting to keep your hair straight, an alternative is the “twisted rope braid”. Simply divide your hair into two parts, twist both sections in the same direction, then twist the two sections around each other in the opposite direction.

WEAR A LOOSE TWISTED BUN: One of the best hairstyles for sleeping is a simple twisted bun. Simply twist your hair into a high bun and secure it with a claw clip at the front of your head. I recommend using a claw clip because it will cause minimum breakage. This protective style will also give your hair lots of volume in the morning when you take it out and who doesn’t love volume?!

SLEEP WITH  YOUR HAIR OVER THE BACK OF THE BED: This method will not work for everyone since it requires a bed without a headboard. However, if you don’t have anything behind your bed, you can sleep with your hair over the back of the bed. I sleep this way when I want to keep my hair straight.

USE A SCRUNCHY OR HAIR COIL: Typical elastic bands can lead to breakage so I recommend using a soft tie like a satin scrunchy to secure your hairstyles. Hair coils are another great option because they won’t leave any indents/kinks in your hair.

USE A SATIN/SILK NIGHT CAP OR PILLOW: Wear a satin/silk night cap to bed or ditch your cotton pillow for something with a silky material that your hair can glide across. This will not only benefit your hair but will also benefit the delicate skin on your face! Cotton pillows suck the moisture out of your hair and skin.

GIVE YOURSELF A SCALP MASSAGE + OIL YOUR HAIR: Massaging your scalp at night will stimulate blood circulation to the scalp which promotes healthy hair growth. Plus, giving yourself a scalp massage helps calm the mind before bed which will lead to a better sleep!  I would also suggest oiling your hair 1x-2x a week to nourish your hair and scalp. I sleep on an old cotton pillow case (I don’t mind getting ruined) on nights I oil my hair.

TRIM YOUR SPLIT ENDS: Spend 5 minutes each night trimming any random split ends you find. This is an easy way to keep your ends looking healthy. It’s also a lot of fun! hehe

DON’T SLEEP WITH WET HAIR: Wet hair is more fragile and prone to breakage. Try air drying your hair at least 90% before going to sleep or use a blow dryer on the lowest setting.