How to stop getting ‘bed head’ hair

If you follow me on Snapchat (and if you don’t you’re about to hear a reference to the type of content that I post that will lead you to wonder why not), you may have seen my lengthy snaps or videos about what my hair looks like when I first wake up.  I’m stuck in a major hair rut at the moment and I rarely look in the mirror and feel happy with my hair – but first thing in the morning it resembles more like a wild bird’s nest than any kind of style. It’s a vicious circle because I end up having to use heat (mainly straighteners) to tame it, which just results in more hair breakage and less love for my wonky do. Over the last few weeks I’ve been attempting to minimise the impact that sleeping has on my hair, and I thought I’d share my tips here to help anyone else who might wonder if they’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards in their sleep! 

S i l k   p i l l o w c a s e 

This is one thing that’s been recommended to me several times, and until I started to try and find ways to minimise the impact of sleeping on my hair, I never got around to taking the plunge and buying one.  Silk pillowcases are said to be one of the key weapons against anti-ageing; minimising wrinkles, regulating your temperature during the night, acting as a hypoallergenic barrier and eliminating bed hair.  Silk is better at keeping in moisture (cotton absorbs moisture, meaning it can dry out your face and hair) as well as minimising the effect of friction on your hair if you toss and turn in the night.  Silk pillowcases don’t cause the indents in your skin that cotton pillowcases do too, so no waking up with lines all over your face! I bought my pillow from Amazon for £8 – it’s a pure Mulberry Silk Pillow and just what I was looking for.

I’ve been using my silk pillow case for a couple of weeks now and I can definitely, definitely notice the difference from when I use it to when I use a normal pillowcase. My hair is much less tangled when I wake up and it hugely reduces the amount of styling I have to do in the morning. I’d like to buy a couple more so that I can revolve them now when it needs washing as it’s hard to go back to my old pillowcases when I change the sheets! 

H a i r   E l i x i r 

This Works are a brand that I already really love so I was really excited to try their Sleep Plus Hair Elixir (£25*), which claims to be a ‘motion activated sleep aid and hair treatment for healthy looking, manageable hair upon waking’. The Hair Elixir contains sunflower extract, argan oil and jojoba oil to boost hair vitality and aid in restful sleep. You spritz a few sprays onto your hair before bedtime (either wet or dry hair) and it works its magic throughout the night – with no rinsing required in the morning. This is another thing that has really helped my hair and I will definitely be re-buying it when I’ve used it up. It comes in a fairly big bottle and I use about three or four sprays just as I’m getting into bed. The spray feels instantly nourishing on my hair, and the scent immediately makes me feel sleepy (it’s a similar scent to my much loved This Works Pillow Spray, which has a constant place beside my bed).  On the few occasions when I’ve forgotten to use it before bedtime I’ve really noticed a difference in the morning, so I’m making a real effort to ensure it’s a key part of my pre-bed routine.

S i l k  s c a r f


For people who don’t want to invest in a silk pillow, wearing a silk scarf to bed is another option to keep your hair soft and friction free overnight.  I had a few vintage silk scarves in a box under my bed, but you can pick them up cheaply from charity shops or on eBay.  I used Ree Ree Rockette’s land girl bandana tutorial to learn how to tie it, and made sure I tied it up extra tight (though obviously not uncomfortably so) to make sure it didn’t come off in the night.  Wearing a silk scarf not only protects your hair from the friction and dryness of a cotton pillow, it can also help keep a style in place such as if you’ve curled your hair.

Using all of these methods I’ve found that my hair is much more well behaved, less tangled and  in a much better condition when I wake up in the morning (and generally).  I’ve also noticed that the hotter I am at night, the more I toss and turn (which obviously hugely adds to ‘bed head’), so I’ve invested in a good quality tower fan for the bedroom, as well as sleeping with the window open every night to ensure I keep cool.  I blogged about tips for sleeping better last year and I still follow those to ensure I get as rested a sleep as possible, minimising social media before bed, trying to follow a yoga routine, avoiding caffeine in the afternoon and evening and having a sleepy tea before bed to wind down.  

Do you have any tips for avoiding ‘bed hair’?