The Sleeping Beauty

How many nights have you gotten minimal sleep because you are trying to preserve your hairstyle?  This may not be relevant in other cultures, but this is a trying issue for women in the black community. You’ve waited all week for your appointment, stayed all day in the salon and avoided rain, humidity and sweat to maintain your look. But nighttime always comes and sleep is needed. So now what do you do- Sleep Pretty?

There is no need for you to sleep upright in order to still look cute in the morning. For years, you have been told, “Just wrap your hair up”. WRONG! Unfortunately, that is not the answer for every style. When preparing to lie down for the night, think about the shape of your hairstyle. Why tie something flat around your head if you are trying to maintain fullness? The wrong headgear can ruin a style more than if you didn’t do anything at all! So here are a few suggestions:

The bonnet is good for curly styles. Sets, afro’s, braids…actually any style. It works just like a shower cap, without being plastic. Comfortable and plenty of ventilation, so don’t worry, you won’t wake up sweating.

This is a good one for short styles. You can keep your style in order up top without having to tie it all down and re-curl every morning. Too much heat styling is never a good thing so getting through the night is imperative. This is also a good idea for medium-longer styles that are fairly straight with just a little volume up top. You can roll the top with about 5 Velcro rollers and wrap up the bottom and finish off with this type of wrap.

These types of full headscarves are great for styles that are smooth, straight or flat, like cornrows for example. If you aren't interested in having volume or body and you prefer a smoother style, then this is what you should be using. Full coverage scarves come in many styles and are easy to find every from beauty supply stores to Walmart and CVS.

Although its African American women who mainly use these items, I would suggest them for anyone. Does your long hair get in your way at night? Do you find your significant other lying on top of it? Then you too should consider these options.  And for those of you, who absolutely can't sleep with this, don't want to or your MATE doesn't want you to, then set your hair free!

  Just be sure to replace your cotton-covered pillow with a satin or silk pillowcase, to maintain moisture and prevent breakage. Good luck & Sweet Dreams!