Nighttime Routines & Sexy Sleeping for Naturals

Nighttime Routines & Sexy Sleeping for Naturals

For the night shows stars and women in a better light.” ~ Lord Byron, Don Juan

You spent all day proudly sporting your best mane style, but now it’s time for bed. How do you go about preserving the ‘do you worked so diligently on? First things first, remember satin and silk are your best friends.

Satin Pillowcase

Sleep on a satin pillowcase and reap the benefits.

Pros:

  • Satin and silk materials do not absorb the moisture in your hair (unlike cotton), preventing your hair from drying out and breaking.
  • Your hair will effortlessly slip across the fabric. Try it and see!
  • The slipping action is great for your face. Satin/silk pillow cases do not cause creases across your face like cotton pillowcases, thereby reducing wrinkles.
  •  You can prevent having “bed head” and smushed ’fros.

Cons:

  • If you are sans air conditioning, you will sweat a lot!

Long-Haired Curly Gals:

  1. Before bed, pineapple your curly mane at the top of your head. Huh, what? New to school? This means gathering your hair at the very top of your head and tying it with a band, so it literally looks like a pineapple. I like to use a scrunchie since it leaves little-to-no hair dents. I also prefer to gather my curly mane at the very front of my head, close to my forehead. It tends to look more like a unicorn than pineapple, but it works! The unicorn method is especially good for us wild sleepers. It also keeps your ends safe from being rubbed by the fabric of your sheets and pillows (if you skip the satin/silk pillows), preventing splint ends.
  2. Sleep on a satin/silk pillow case, or stuff your hair in a satin/silk cap.

Short-Haired Curly Gals and Teeny Weenie Afros (TWAs):

  1. Wear a satin or silk cap before heading to bed. You can also go the extra mile and wrap your hair with a silk or satin scarf before putting on the cap. If your covering stays on (lucky gentle sleepers), you can sleep on a regular pillow case.
  2. If you’re a wild sleeper (toss and turners, leg kickers, and sleep walkers all apply), sleep on a satin or silk pillow case as a backup method.

Straightened Tresses

  1. If you want to preserve your fresh presses and blow-outs, wrap your hair with a satin or silk scarf. When I first began taking better care of my hair, I found this to be tricky, as it was nonexistent in my routine. I would just sleep on a cotton pillow and proceed to cook my hair with a flat iron in the morning. And I wondered why my hair health suffered!

Bonus Tip: If you smooth Vatika oil on longer straightened hair and place it in a bun before bed, you will wake up with silky waves. This particularly works for me when using my Maxiglide hair straightener.

Sexy Sleepers

Let’s face it, there may be occasions where you are in others’ company and want to “sleep sexy,” even just for your own comfort. Bolder curlies will call a spade a spade and keep on trucking with their routine. “Sexy sleepers” can try the pineapple and satin pillow case method, or at the very least keep a pillowcase handy, particularly if you’re traveling. They may call you a diva, but you’ll be waking up with your style preserved!

And while you’re sexy sleeping, don’t forget your body spray, cute socks, and lip balm/gloss. It may sound a little over the top, but I know ladies who go the extra mile!

Do you have sexy sleeping hair techniques? Pass them along and sound off.