5 reasons why sleeping with wet hair is a terrible, terrible idea

Mornings can get really hectic. And if like me, you prefer making preparations for it the night before, you might take to washing your hair right before you hit the hay—especially in the winter season.

If you also happen to be just as lazy as I am, chances are that you don’t wait for your hair to dry, and simply snooze away to glory—with wet hair. 

While preparing in advance for the next day can save you a lot of time in the morning, sleeping with wet hair can be a terrible idea. Here’s why:

It causes hair breakage

“When you sleep with wet hair, you’re likely to face a lot of hair breakage,” warns Dr Apoorva Shah, founder of RichFeel Trichology Centre, Mumbai. 

This is because your hair is at its weakest when it is wet, and the friction between the hair and the pillow when you sleep might exploit this weakness and cause breakage. 

You might just get an infection

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By now, I am sure you know that a moist environment breeds bacteria and fungus like nothing else. Unfortunately, this is also applicable in the case of your wet hair.  

“Sleeping with wet hair can foster bacteria and fungus on your scalp and the resulting infections can be rather painful to deal with,” explains Dr Shah.

It can give you dandruff

FYI, dandruff is a type of infection and by sleeping with wet hair, you’re more likely to get it.

Your hair is most likely to become dull and lifeless

Sleeping with wet hair is a sure-shot formula for introducing your mane to dullness and damage. “This is because the fabric of the pillow can absorb the natural moisture and oil of your hair,” Dr Shah points out.

You may also fall sick

No points for guessing that a wet head can give you a wet nose as you may end up falling sick with a cold or cough–especially if you sleep with the AC on. 

The final word

There is no harm in washing your hair at night, as long as you let it dry (or use that fancy hair dryer you have lying around) before you go to sleep. Now that you know, here’s hoping you’ll make better choices. Toodles!