Before I started the Curly Girl Method, I had no idea how to sleep with curly hair.

I also didn’t know how much damage I’d been doing to my hair while I slept!

As it turns out, one thing that determines if your hair frizz-free, defined and healthy is how you sleep on your curls.

Luckily, this is actually a really easy aspect of the Curly Girl Method to follow.

All it takes is a protective hairstyle you’re comfortable sleeping in and a couple of inexpensive hair tools.

And if you’re someone who doesn’t want to wash/co-wash or wet your hair in the shower every day, taking care of your hair while you sleep can mean that you’ll wake up with defined curls that are easy to refresh.

This was originally posted in April 2019. The date reflects the most recent update.

Here are some styles and tools to help you sleep with curly hair in a way that minimizes hair breakage and retains moisture and definition!

Side note: This page does contain affiliate links, which means if you purchase something using the product links on this page, I may get a small commission. This comes at no extra cost to you and helps keep this site running. Thank you!

How to sleep with curly hair when it’s dry

Pineapple

This protective style gets its name because of its resemblance to (you guessed it) a pineapple!

To style your hair like this, turn your head upside down and gather your hair as close to your hair at the top of your head as you can.

Ideally, you want to end up between the crown of your head and your forehead, but if your hair is shorter, just go as far forward as your hair will allow.

Once your hair is collected, use a cloth or satin scrunchie to keep it in place.

The looser you secure the scrunchie, the better. This will minimize breakage and hair creases in the morning.

Collecting your hair on top of your head keeps you from sleeping on top of it.

When you sleep with curly hair like this, it reduces friction as you turn at night and prevents you from crushing your curls. This, in return, reduces frizz and keeps the definition intact.

Bun

If your hair is long, a pineapple may not be enough to keep your hair on top of your head.

If you find that you still end up sleeping on your pineappled hair, try a bun instead.

Because your hair will be more contained than a traditional pineapple, you may lose more definition.

However, as long as you secure it loosely, you should be able to refresh it if that’s your goal.

The bun will help minimize breakage and reduce frizz-causing friction just like the Pineapple does.

Buff

Another tool you can use to keep your hair on top of your head is a buff.

To use a buff, stretch the fabric out and gently guide it over your head so it ends up around your neck like a necklace.

Then tip your head upside down and tug on the top of the buff until it encases your hair.

If your hair is really long, you might want to tie the top to keep your hair from ending up under your head throughout the night. Mine is short enough to leave it open.

You would think even with my hair that I’d end up sleeping on it, but I really don’t!

The fabric guides the hair upward and once I lay down, gravity keeps it above my head.

The benefit of a buff is that it keeps your hair on top of your head without risking a scrunchie indent that may come with a pineapple or bun.

The downside is your head is more covered, which may be uncomfortable for some people.

It also may slip off through the night depending on how much you move.

I’ve found that the buff is the best at keeping my curls defined and intact, so it’s good to use if I want to try to refresh the next day.

However, the fact that it doesn’t always stay in place can make it more annoying to sleep in than a pineapple.

Braid

Full disclosure, I’m not much of a braider, so this is not a style I use or can speak to.

But it’s an option I’ve come across in a lot of curly hair care resources, and it makes sense to me, so I wanted to mention it!

The benefit of a braid (or multiple braids) is that it keeps the hair secure all night.

As you may have gathered by now, the less your hair moves and rubs against your pillowcase, the better.

I would think the downside to a braid is you’d lose a fair amount of curl definition to the braid pattern, so this may be a style that’s best if you’re going to wet your hair in the morning.

But again, that’s not something I can speak to directly.

How to sleep with curly hair when it’s short

Medusa clipping

(Added on 10/17/19): I’ve gotten some comments and questions about how to sleep with curly hair if it’s shorter, so I wanted to drop this section in!

I mentioned in the comments previously that I don’t have much experience with this. This is still true. My hair was shorter when I started the Curly Girl Method, but I hadn’t started caring too much about how I slept with it yet.

However, since I’ve written this post, one of my short-haired friends started following the Curly Girl Method and told me she uses Medusa Clipping, which you can find demoed in this YouTube video.

Again, I haven’t tried this, so I can’t speak to it, but if you have short hair, this might be worth a shot!

Modified Pineapple

(Added on 7/20/23): I’ve recently cut my hair short. It’s now a curly bob that falls between my jaw and shoulders.

I’ve found my favorite way to sleep with my new short hair is a modified pineapple.

First, I gather my hair on the top of my head, just like you would with a more traditional pineapple discussed above.

Then I get two bobby pins and use them to secure the bottom layer of hair that’s too short to reach the pineapple. To do this, I separate the remaining hair into two sections, then twist each section upward and secure it with a bobby pin.

The twisting encourages the curl to keep its shape and pinning it prevents the hair from too much rubbing or breakage.

Personally, this has been the best and easiest option for me when it comes to both sleeping comfortably and preserving my curls for the next day.

Tools to sleep with curly hair: satin pillowcase or scarf

In addition to sleeping in a protective style, you want to pay attention to what you’re sleeping on.

Traditional pillowcases are a problem for curly girls because they pull a fair amount of moisture out of the hair.

And like we talked about in our Curly Girl Method 101 post, curls need moisture to look their best.

You spend hours on your pillow every night, which gives traditional pillowcases plenty of time to suck the moisture out of your hair.

So instead of using the pillowcases that come with your sheet, consider using a satin pillowcase instead.

They take in far less moisture, which makes them a better match for curly hair.

Alternatively, you can wrap a satin scarf around your head if that’s more your thing.

How to sleep with curly hair when it’s wet

I’m not one to diffuse my hair, mostly because I don’t really have the patience.

I work from home in the morning, so I can usually take my shower, style my hair and let it air dry before I have to be anywhere.

However, there are days where I have to be somewhere early.

Since I’m not big on defusing and I’ve yet to find a refresh routine that works for me, in a situation like this, I shower and style my hair the night before.

My most successful overnight curl routine starts with a shower a 2-3 hours before I go to bed.

I follow my normal wash and style routine with one bonus step.

After I’ve applied my Biotera gel, I add a coat of Tresemme Mega Sculpting Gel to the surface of my hair.

This will increase the length of time it takes my hair to dry, but it will create a stronger gel cast that the Biotera gel does on its own.

In this case, I sleep with my curls in a buff to help keep them intact all night long.

When I go to sleep, my hair is about 50% dry. The hard hold gel helps to protect my curls overnight and gives me a gel cast that holds until morning, so I wake up in the crunch.

I just break up the gel cast and I’m good to go! It’s usually a little frizzier than when it dries fully before I go to bed, but not noticeably so.

For more products, check out these posts: 25 Curly Girl Approved Drugstore Products, 25 Curly Girl Approved Conditioners, 25 Curly Girl Approved Gels, Curly Girl Beginner Products.

To check for yourself if a product is curly girl approved, you use isitcg.com.

Looking for more guidance on your curly hair journey?

For beginners

If you’re new to curly hair care and looking for some help, you should check out the No-Stress Guide to Curly Hair Care!

After spending two years learning and caring for my curly hair, I wanted to create my own, in-depth guide to help fellow curlies create incredible curls in the easiest way possible. 

It took me a while, but I eventually found an approach that helped me create a curly hair routine that fits into my life in the simplest way possible. And now I want to help you do the same!

click to learn more

For more intermediate/advanced guidance

If you’ve been on your curly hair journey for a while but still have some struggles, check out Curly Hair Problems!

After spending hours scouring the internet looking for solutions to my own curly hair problems, I found myself wishing for an easier, more comprehensive guide to the most common problems.

So that’s what I created!

Curly Hair Problems offers you 78 total solutions to the five most common curly hair care problems, including frizz, curl clumps, limp curls, product issues, and scalp issues.

click to learn more

Sound off: What’s your favorite protective style to sleep with curly hair? Tell us about it in the comments!