What is sleep protection?
Sleep protection refers to any method that helps protect our curls while we sleep. The aim is generally to reduce frizz and friction while we’re tossing and turning overnight – and hopefully, spend less time fixing and refreshing our curls in the morning. And, of course, actually get some sleep in the meantime. Should be possible, right?
What’s the best way to protect my curls while I sleep?
There are so many different ways to protect curls, and you may want to combine a couple of methods for maximum protection! Below are a few of the most popular methods.
Silk or satin pillowcase for sleep protection
For many curlies, this is a bare minimum. Silk, or polyester satin, creates less friction and absorbs less moisture compared to cotton, so it’s great for your hair (and skin!). Silk has the added benefit of being temperature-regulating and more breathable, but satin is always the cheaper option.
Pillowcase recommendations:
Bouclème silk pillowcase (get 15% off with code COAST15)
Only Curls silk pillowcase (get £5 with code COAST5)
TréLuxe satin pillowcase
Only Curls satin pillowcase (get £5 off with code COAST5)
Pineapple your curls
A pineapple is basically a high ponytail on top of your head (like the leaves of a pineapple!). This keeps your curls out of the way while you sleep. Some curlies find that it stretches out their underneath sections, but the trick is to not tie it too tightly – or even leave your bottom layers out if you’re worried about it. (after all, these will be covered by the rest of your hair the rest of the time!)
The other trick is to not use hair elastics, which will stretch and break your hair. Instead, opt for silk or satin scrunchies, or invisibobbles, which won’t constrict your curls so much.
Get satin scrunchies from Soulta Beauty (get 10% off with COAST10) or Only Curls (again, get £5 off with COAST5), silk scrunchies from SILKE London (get 10% off with code COAST10), or Invisibobbles from Amazon UK | Amazon US.
Medusa clipping
Medusa clipping involves lifting and clipping parts of your hair and securing it with mini claw clips. This way, you retain the structure of your curls – no stretching or pulling involved! This works especially well for short or wavy hair, where your curls are in danger of dropping quite easily.
Get mini claw clips from Amazon, or your local drugstore or supermarket.
Bonnets for sleep protection
A favourite among tighter and coily hair patterns, bonnets tend to be made of silk or satin and have a stretchy elastic band to stay on your head. Bonnets are great if you have thick hair or a lot of hair, as they can gently hold your curls in place. As a bonus, you could pop one over your car headrest to protect your hair in the car too!
I find the easiest way to put a bonnet on is by throwing all my hair forward, placing it at the back of my neck and pulling it over from the back to the front. You can double this up with a pineapple or medusa clipping for extra protection.
I own these satin bonnets from Etsy (link one) (link two), or JSL Essentials sells them too (use code COAST15 for 15% off). Meanwhile, SILKE London sells a silk bonnet/hair wrap (code COAST10 for 10% off).
Buffs and wraps
Buffs are great if you find that bonnets slide off your head too easily, or if your hair slides around inside a bonnet too much. A buff is my preferred method of sleep protection, because I have fine and lower-density hair so it helps to compact my curls better. These tend to be made of jersey rather than satin, but because they squish your hair more, they don’t cause friction in my experience.
With a buff you’re kind of piling your hair on top of your head, Marge Simpson-style, and then securing the end if possible. My go-to is from Bambonn Haircare: this is a tube of bamboo jersey with ribbons at the end for extra security. The founder, Emily, makes them all by hand and only restocks every Friday, so set a reminder if you’re keen to buy one!
I also have a bunch from JSL Essentials in lots of lovely patterns, and again, COAST15 gives you 15% off the website.
Silk or satin scarves
This is a good choice if you already have a scarf knocking around the house! You fold it into a triangle, tie it around your head, and tuck in the top. I tried this when I was first starting out on my curly journey, but I could never quite get the hang of it. Still, check out how super-high-density curly @curlswithAlexa uses a scarf for her sleep protection.
As you can see, you can double this up with a loose pineapple, too.
You can find scarves anywhere, especially in charity shops/thrift stores!
How do I know which method of sleep protection is best for me?
Unfortunately, finding the right sleep protection for you is a matter of trial and error. I started out just using what I had at home, which was a big length of silk, before trying a bonnet, and eventually moving onto a buff. If I’m feeling lazy, I’ll just shove my hair into a pineapple. Some curlies will double up, doing medusa clipping with a bonnet or turban on top. And some curlies will just go for the pillowcase option, and fan their hair behind them. It’s all about finding that balance between protecting your curls from the worst of the friction, while still actually being comfortable while you sleep!
And remember, no method of sleep protection can guarantee that you’ll wake up to perfect, frizz-free curls – you might still need to do a little refreshing and fixing the next day, and that’s normal. (Check out my post on refreshing curls on different ways to do this!)
But with any luck, you’ll find a method that salvages your curls enough so that you don’t need to completely wash your hair again the next day. Good luck, and sleep well!
Curls by the Coast 
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