- Why do people go to bed with wet hair?
- Why you shouldn't go to sleep with wet hair
- What you should do instead
If you've been told the old wives' tale that says you should never eat before going swimming, you've probably also been told that sleeping with wet hair will make you ill.
With little evidence or explanation, it's highly likely you've ignored this warning, but could you be putting yourself in danger?
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Why do people go to bed with wet hair?
We've all been there. You've got to be out the door early the next morning, but your hair is looking less than presentable. You've got to make dinner and maybe even get the kids to bed so you'll leave the hair washing for later that night.
You've washed your hair but, either because you don't want to make noise or you simply don't have the energy, you skip the blow-dry. Heat is bad for your hair, isn't it? It'll be better to let it dry in your sleep.
You wake up and you wonder why you look like you've been electrocuted, but you don't have time to rewash it. It'll have to do.
Whilst leaving your hair washing to the night before might seem like the best option, there are hidden dangers that you probably don't know about!
Why you shouldn't go to sleep with wet hair
1. It could cause severe hair breakage
Hair is at its weakest when wet, so it's not surprising to hear that you'll be increasing the amount of breakage by leaving your hair wet whilst you sleep. As you toss and turn, friction will cause the hair to snap more easily than if your hair was dry.
You might think leaving your hair to air dry is better than applying heat, but is it really?
2. It'll make you feel cold
If you're sleeping in an air-conditioned room or it's the peak of winter, sleeping with wet hair will make you feel much colder.
Stop the shivers by giving your hair a proper blow dry. For a real treat, you can even blow dry your socks, pyjamas and bed sheets so they're nice and cosy.
3. You'll spend more time styling your hair
The term 'bed head' exists for a reason! As your hair dries, it sets into place. When you sleep, your hair is twisted into all sorts of strange styles, and if it's drying while you sleep, it'll set that way too.
Normally the worst offenders are the crown of your head and the ends of your hair. The only way to smooth out your hair is to spend a lot of time trying to restyle, either by re-wetting it, using heat tools or suffocating it with aerosols and gels - not exactly the au-natural option you were going for.
4. Worsens your immune system
The old wives' tale that you'll get ill from sleeping with wet hair isn't completely true - you can't catch a virus simply from having wet hair.
That said, sleeping with wet hair can weaken your immune system which makes it more likely that you could catch a cold or flu virus.
5. Bacteria growth
If there's one thing we all know, it's that the combination of water and warmth equals a rapid growth of bacteria. Just think how much bacteria will be growing on your pillow if you sleep with wet hair! The warmth from your head will make the damp pillow the perfect breeding ground for harmful bacteria and mould.
You might think that changing your bedsheets frequently will help, but the dampness from your hair will have penetrated into the pillow. Do you really want to rest your head on a bacteria haven every night?
6. Causes dandruff
The warmth of your head and the prolonged dampness of your hair will cause bacteria and fungi to multiply on your scalp as well as your pillow. Sleeping with damp hair also strips the natural oils away from your hair as they are easily absorbed by the pillow's fabric along with the excess moisture.
The combination of bacteria growth and the loss of natural oils will make your scalp more likely to develop dandruff, and who wants that?
7. Makes your hair dull
When the water is absorbed from your hair into the pillow's fabric the natural oils are taken too. Your hair will look so much duller and dehydrated without these oils.
Dehydrated hair is also much more likely to break. Remember that there is a big difference between hair that is dry to the touch and hair that is dehydrated of natural oils.
8. Can cause hair loss
Can you believe this? Going to bed with wet hair can result in hair loss and, more specifically, scalp ringworm. Scalp ringworm is a type of fungal infection, caused by warm and damp conditions.
It's highly contagious, so take care to wash anything that has come into contact with your scalp. We'd rather grow long hair than lose it!
9. It'll give you acne
If your pillow is crawling with bacteria, chances are you'll soon be experiencing a break out of acne. Your skin will thank you for drying your hair before you sleep.
What you should do instead
Sleeping with wet hair might cut a few corners, but to avoid any of the above, here's what you can do:
- Wash your hair earlier in the evening - this will allow it to air dry before bed, without dampening your pillow.
- Sleep with a silk pillowcase - this will reduce friction and prevent breakage.
- Dry your hair with a t-shirt - this will cause less damage than a regular towel or prolonged blow-drying.
- Apply a leave-in conditioner to strengthen your hair.
- Never sleep with wet hair if you have hair extensions - they will become tangled and matted.
- If you do sleep with wet hair, consider putting a waterproof pillow cover on your pillow and change fabric pillowcases every second day.
Do you ever go to bed with wet hair? Let us know in the comments below!
NO I don't for exactly the one of the reasons you mentioned, Sticking up, uncontrollable hair next day !
Good to hear, Mary!
Thank you for telling this as I never new this would happen so I will remember this but I must say that I have never gone to bed with wet heair and I don't think I ever will
You're welcome, June!
Being Chinese.. I was told you will get headaches later on in life...
That's really interesting, Julie! Do you think it's true?
It's really helpful because I often sleep with wet hair. Now I know the effects of having your hair wet when going to bed. God
It's worrying, isn't it?
I always go to bed with wet hair and I seem fine and so does it! I'm afraid I don't know how true this actually is I have done it since being young and I get told I have fantastic silky undamaged hair so !
Thanks for sharing, Holly!
Me too!
Hard lesson learned. I've experienced #8. Sleeping with wet hair caused me to develop scalp ringworm and hair loss. Now I spend my time treating my hair 3xs a day.
Hi Kia! I'm sorry to hear that you've experienced this. It does highlight the hidden dangers though! Hopefully, your comment will help other readers to understand the risks.
My hair/scalp has an odor. I was my hair every night and go to bed with it wet. Could this possibly be what is causing the odor. I have used a dandruff and clarifying shampoo but it hasn't helped. My next thing is to make a soda paste and leave on my hair for 5 minutes. Any suggestions?
Hi Debbie! It sounds like you could have some kind of bacterial growth on your scalp. This could certainly be caused by going to bed with wet hair. I would suggest you try blow drying it for the next fortnight and see if the smell goes away. If you continue to have problems with odour, I would speak to your GP. It might be something that needs medical attention.
... Well, there is one time I had to sleep with the wet hair by accident during 5th grade camp. Since it was around 9 pm, I didn't worried about showering so I showered and washed my hair. Turns out, I have to sleep with my wet hair since I don't have a hair dryer and even if I do, still our leaders told us that we have to go to sleep now. While I was sleeping, I knew my skin was starting to get heated up, and I did kind of felt that my skin was starting to break, so to cool myself off, I had to put my wet hair on my face! So far, I guess my hair does keeps coming off, but not entirely unless I watched out where I was going to brush it at. Thanks for letting me know. :)
You're welcome, Taina!
Hi my name is Asfandyar and I’m having hair fall problem plz tell me how can I stop this
Hi Asfandyar! Do you go to sleep with wet hair? This could be the first problem. I'd try to get to the root of the problem first - is it caused by stress or another factor? If you can control this factor then that is a good step to take. You can also try vitamins, scalp massages and increasing the amount of Iron in your diet if it's safe for you to do so.
Umm...hi I always sleep with wet hair..but not really wet it was not wet but you can feel it just a little cold...i already use a t-shirt to dry my hair and in every time I sleep my hair is not wet but just having a little cold...and could it also affect me!!??
Hi Dariel! Slightly damp hair can also cause the same problems, I'm afraid!
That answers my questions about having hair loss and acne, will never sleep again with wet hair. Thank you 😉😉
You're welcome, Ban! It's unexpected, but it really does make a difference.
I have gone to bed with wet hair for decades!!! And I mean, I NEVER go to bed without showering first. I can't stand the thought of getting into bed with any kind of "day" accumulation of anything! Then I always wet it down in the morning because of bed head. I had NO IDEA about anything that was written here. Oh dear heavens!!! Thanks. I am going to always blow dry my hair before bed now.
If you blow dry your hair before bed, you should find it fixes your bed head a bit too! Sleeping on wet hair will fix it into all sorts of crazy styles.
Man alive!!! I’ll never go to bed with wet hair again!! I’ve done it forever and I’m in my fifties! I just always loved sleeping with wet hair! I always felt like I was nice and clean! Boy, do I love the internet!! So helpful!! Thanx tons!!🥰
You're welcome, Michele!
The only reason why I’m doing this, It’s because time saver for the next day going to work , and wash my hair at night to remove the dirt on my hair entire day I was out. I don’t have time to blow dry or air dry my hair, and I’m doing this for a month, I think I need to change my routine.
It is a time-saver, but we're not sure if it's worth the risks!
I think, I might have found the reason for my itchy scalp and hair loss. the itchiness got to a level where there were small blisters on my scalp. I tried changing my shampoo, tried to go and get my self checked. but nothing worked. I got several ointments but didnt help me much. I strated getting backacne as well and now the problem is at its worst, as now I have acne on my face (I was really blessed with a good skin and never really had a breakout for no reason) I tried eliminating different types of food ingredients to detect if i was getting these acne because of some sort of allergy from certain foods but still no help. Atleast now I know where exactly the change was needed. I will surely try this out. Thanks a ton :)
That sounds painful, Kaveri! Glad we could help.
Oh wow. I never knew this. I always go to bed with wet hair. My hair is so thick that it is usually still damp when I wake up the next morning. I never realised that I could be damaging my hair more. I always thought that because I was leaving it to dry naturally, it was healthier. I won't be doing this in future. x
It's quite scary, isn't it! Leaving your hair to dry naturally during the day is definitely healthier than using heat, but the same doesn't apply overnight!
I am aged 58 and for many years I have gone to bed with wet hair. My hairdresser says that considering my age, my hair is in fantastic condition and it so thick. I do not suffer dandruff or health problems. I do have a waterproof protector on my pillow plus pillowcase. I guess we are all different. When I can I will shower early but as being self employed my days can be long, I often do not get a chance to wash my hair til late in the evening. Also, I do not use shampoo or conditioner and only wash my hair every 10 days. I am intolerant to a lot of hair products so opted for warm/hot water instead.
Hi Maria! That's great to hear - everyone is different. It sounds like the waterproof pillow protector might be helping too.
I need your ideas. I have naturally wavy hair and can't blow dry my hair. As well as it taking 4 hours to air dry and me, refusing to go to work with wet hair I'm in a pickle. I use a CPAP attached to my blow dryer so it will give me indirect heat. I leave it on for a solid hour, but my hair is still damp. My scalp is dry. I wonder if that does not help. Do you have any ideas on what I can do as opposed to washing my hair at night and going to bed with a damp head? My friends and I are at a loss.
Hi Tamara! Are you able to wash your hair late afternoon / early evening? This way it should air dry before bed. If you feel like this is not the best time for showering, you can keep your hair dry with a shower cap and shower before work.
Having wet hair when you sleep will not weaken your immune system. Neither will going outside in the cold with hair. Those are wives tales not facts
Hi Brittney! We've linked to our sources, so feel free to check them out!
I usually don't make a habit going to bed with wet hair. Usually I wait till I know its damped, in the morning my hair is not tangled. Knock on wood I haven't woke up with a cold.
That sounds like a good way to do it!
Hi, I've been sleeping with my hair wet for ages and there has been no damage... Quite frequently I've been getting dandruff and oily hair... Could this be due to sleeping with my hair wet.? I did Google it and another reason could be that I don't wash my hair as often as it should be washed. Please help I need advice! :)
Hi Ella! It could well be the reason. An anti-dandruff shampoo might be a good place to start. Have you tried changing your pillowcase more regularly too? Oily and dandruff-prone hair can occur for a number of different reasons.
I’d love to understand how you came to the conclusion that sleeping with wet hair weakens the immune system. Are there any scientific studies to back this claim up? Seems pretty absurd to me.
Hi Tina! This study looks at whether cooling the feet (very similar to having wet hair) causes the onset of common cold symptoms > https://academic.oup.com/fampra/article/22/6/608/497956. You can check out this article on the BBC to learn about how this impacts our body's defence systems > https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20120305-youll-catch-a-cold-with-wet-hair
I'm here because I went to sleep last night with wet hair and now my scalp is incredibly itchy. What can do now to fix it? I won't be going to bed with wet hair again, but in the meantime this is driving me crazy. Should I shower again?
Hi Luca! Do you have any other symptoms or have you used any products for the first time? If it persists, I would speak to a GP.
For a long time I would wash my hair at night, go to bed and flat iron my hair in the morning. My hair would look great for a few hours and then the itch would consume me. Ugh!! It was awful! I finally got to see a dermatologist. Long story short, she said going to bed with wet hair was the equivalent of rolling up a wet towel and leaving it. Eventually that towel becomes moldy and musty. I was doing the same to my scalp! She prescribed an anti fungal shampoo and drops which helped tremendously! And I no longer go to bed with wet hair. NEVER again! Thanks for the article!
That's a very good way of putting it!
Thank you for telling me this I’m not going to sleep with wet hair🙂
We're glad you found it helpful!
Thank you for the advice my son now knows to dry hair
You're welcome, Shirley!
I often go to bed with wet hair without brushing it first. I brush it before I shower. I always use a leave-in conditioner like Moroccan oil for hair. And I always put a clean hand towel on my pillow. My hair is fabulous in the morning and has a shine. In autumn, I may apply an oil to just my hair, not my scalp, again during the day once or twice because the air is more dry then where I live.
Leave-in conditioner sounds great!
should i sleep with my wet hair in a t-shirt when i go to bed?
Hi Kylie! I'd suggest making sure that your hair is dry before going to bed.
No I don't...EVER!!!
We're glad to hear!
I have been going to bed with wet hair for 4 months and just realized I been sick with cold (covid tested) for most of the time. I definitely think it weakens your immune system as i am typically healthy .. I stopped this week and will monitor over the next couple of months
Thanks for sharing, Heather!
I'm happy to follow this information, I think it is really relevant to why pillows start to be smelly and sometimes you get acne even if you aren't going outside that much. Thank you for this tips and information, Joanne!
You're welcome! It does make a lot of sense.
I found this article very interesting. I have had itchy dry scalp issues for years and often go to bed with wet hair as been told by hairdressers to ‘let it dry naturally’ which I now realise works for day time but not for sleeping. I’ve seen a number of doctors about this issue and never have they asked if I go to bed with my hair wet. I will never to this again, but how do I clear the bacteria that’s accumulated?
Hi Joanne! It might be worth getting a new pillow or having it dry cleaned. Breaking the habit of sleeping with wet hair should help to get rid of the problem over time.