If you usually wake up to a full-fledged hair battle on your hands, then your sleeping routine might be the thing that's tripping you up. Luckily, there are easy and clever DIYs that will get you better hair while you sleep, meaning you won't have to wake up 15 minutes before your snooze to attack your mop with a brush or straightener. Small things like the material of your sheets to the air in your room can have an effect on the state of your morning hair, and all it takes are small tweaks to straighten them out.
Split ends and dry hair aren't the only things that ail us come morning — sometimes a person just wants to wake up and not have to deal with 30 minutes of prep time to manage their mane. If you don't particularly like playing with hair tools and coming up with elaborate braids and up-dos to mask the crazy state that is your bed head, then a DIY night routine like one of these options would be perfect for you.
With just a couple of products and some simple bed-ready hair styles, you can wake up looking sleek and coiffed. Below are night time DIYs that will get you better hair while you sleep — let the reign of bad hair days officially cease forever.
1. Sleep On A Silk Pillowcase
While it might sound bougie, sleeping on silk or satin pillowcases is an absolute must if you want to keep your hair healthy. "Not only does it prevent the most undesirable bed head, but it also helps reduce breakage and split ends," says Meredith Morris, a stylist, colorist, and owner of Maven Beverly Hills, in an email to Bustle. You'll no longer have to spend 30 minutes brushing out your knots in the morning with this easy switch.
2. Create Your Own Coconut Oil Mask
LouAna 100% Pure Coconut Oil, $10, Amazon
Rummage through your kitchen cupboards and find the tools of the trade to keep your hair shiny and strong. "Coconut oil is nourishing and is a perfect solution for strengthening hair as well as conditioning the scalp," Morris points out. "Take a half teaspoon and emulsify it in your hands — when heated, the oil will liquefy. Apply the mask roots to ends, massaging it into your scalp. Cover your hair with a cap and you're ready for beauty rest!"
In the morning, just hop into the shower to rinse it off with shampoo, and you're set.
3. Spray On Salt Spray
Mermaid Waves Sea Spray, $20, Good Day Hairshop
Salt-spraying on damp, not wet, hair before bed is an easy, no-fuss way to get tousled waves while you snooze. "Having your hair 50 percent dry before spraying in the product lets you saturate the ends and work it through with your hands with a scrunching motion," says Jaymi Van Horne, a hairstylist at Toronto's Good Day Hairshop with over 10 years experience. "When you wake up, you get a lived-in mermaid vibe that can then be smoothed down with serum, or amplified with the same spray you used at night for a seriously sexy bed-head look."
The spray Van Horne recommends using for this move is the Obviously Good Day Hairshop Mermaid Spray. The name alone is promising enough.
4. Braid Your Hair Before Going To Bed
Another way to wake up with a perfectly tousled style is to divide your hair into four sections and braid them. "You braid each section and tie it off so that the braids stay while you sleep," Morris says. When you wake up the next morning and take out the plaits, your hair should be left with a perfect beachy texture. Add a little surf spray or texture spray for some hold and you're all set for a fabulous hair day."
5. Use Sweet Almond Oil
Sanar Naturals Sweet Almond Oil, $3, A mazon
If you feel like coconut oil is too messy to work with, Van Horne suggests trying out sweet almond oil instead. "Unlike my experiences with coconut oil or castor oil, sweet almond oil is easily absorbed into the hair and can be shampooed out completely," Van Horne explains. "If I am going to shampoo my hair in the morning, I will dampen my hair with warm water to open the cuticle, apply sweet almond oil from scalp to tip using a comb and then sleep on it overnight. This inexpensive treatment leaves you with silky smooth strands and a hydrated scalp."
6. Barrel Curl Your Hair Before Bed
If you're not into waking up two hours earlier to switch up your hairstyle, try barrel curls instead. "The night before, on dry hair, roll one to two inch sections and pin at random. When you wake up, brush out and use some oil to separate and define," Van Horne recommends. The end result will be wavy, curly locks.
7. Invest In A Humidifier
Sunbeam Warm Mist Humidifier, $20, Walmart
If you have a problem with dry hair or scalp, try investing in a humidifier to keep your locks and skin hydrated and healthy. This is also a great tip for anyone (not just those ailing with dryness) during the winter months. "I like to encourage clients with dry hair and scalps to purchase the bedside humidifiers that can be easily placed on your nightstand while sleeping. Plug in your phone, turn on your humidifier and catch some zzz's. The air will do the rest," Van Horne shares. What can be easier?
Whether you're trying to remedy a hair problem or just want to wake up with perfectly styled hair, these tips will do the trick. Here's to nothing but good nights of sleep and good hair days ahead.
Images: @morrec/ Unsplash (1); Good Day Hairshop (1); Walmart (3)
