Is sleeping with wet hair good or bad for hair and health?

After a hard day, many just want to get home, getting into the shower and then falling straight into bed and not getting up until the next morning the alarm goes off.

If you wash your hair beforehand, there is barely enough time to air dry it. It is possible that you also do not feel like using the dryer or that you want to do without it for ecological or energy saving reasons.

But going to bed with wet hair can have negative consequences although the myth that the cold is practically guaranteed is not true.

Does going to sleep with wet hair make you sick?

One of the popular wisdom phrases that you must have heard often as a child is that you should always blow-dry your hair before going to bed. Otherwise, there would be a risk of catching a cold, since you start to catch cold faster. However, this claim is not scientifically substantiated.

Colds do not occur because people are or experience cold, they only develop when you have contracted a virus. These viruses are spread through airborne droplets and on surfaces we touch when an infected person sneezes, coughs, or talks.

However, you can get a disease from sleeping with wet hair: a fungal infection on the scalp. Fungi find an ideal breeding ground in a damp scalp and equally damp pillow.

On the one hand, they can be fungi that are found naturally on the scalp, such as the mushroom Malassezia which can lead to dandruff and dermatitis, a skin condition.

In addition, there are other fungi, which also thrive in the hot and humid environment, which can cause serious infections in immunocompromised people and aggravate asthma symptoms. Therefore it is advisable to sleep with dry hair.

What does sleeping with wet hair do to your hair?

You’re also doing your hair a disservice if you don’t dry it before bed. The reason is that hair is more fragile when wet. If you go to sleep with wet hair and roll over in your sleep, your hair is much more prone to breakage than when it’s dry.

There are also people who often braid or tie their wet hair overnight; This is another practice that can cause hair breakage.

The amount of stress your hair undergoes overnight as well It depends on how often you go to sleep with wet hair. or not dry properly.

Keep in mind that the individual nature of your hair plays a role. For example, Chemically treated hair is more likely to break than untreated hair.

If despite everything you go to bed with wet hair

If you can’t help but go to sleep with wet hair, the following tips may help you put as little pressure as possible on your hair and your health:

Extend the time between washing your hair and going to bed, This way, the hair can air dry a bit.Use a conditioner, as it will help to seal the hair cuticle, reduce friction and facilitate hair detangling. It will also help prevent hair breakage. There is evidence that coconut oil can help protect hair against breakage.Make sure it’s not too cold in the bedroom. The ideal room temperature for sleeping is between 16 and 19 degrees. In a colder environment, hair takes longer to dry out and bacteria have much more time to spread in the humid environment of the scalp and pillow.