One of the most common hair woes many women complain about is waking up nearly every morning with their pillow covered in hair. Seeing a few strands on your pillowcase is not a cause of concern; the real problem begins when this seems to only get worse each day.
But before you panic, hear us out. A plausible reason why you are losing so much hair while you sleep could be due to an inefficient or non-existent nighttime hair care routine.
To minimise breakage and prevent hair fall, it is essential to prep your hair before hitting the sheets. Read on for five things you can do each night to protect your strands while you sleep…
- 01. Moisturise your strands
- 02. Don’t sleep on wet hair
- 03. Brush your hair
- 04. Use a silk pillowcase
- 05. Choose your bedtime hairstyle carefully
01. Moisturise your strands

Similar to applying a night cream, moisturising your hair before bed has a lot of benefits. If your hair is well-moisturised and conditioned, it will cause a lesser amount of friction and thereby reduce the chances of breakage as you toss and turn while sleeping. Additionally, moisturising your strands before bed ensures that your hair is super easy to style the next morning.
BB pro tip: Simply take two pumps of the TIGI Bed Head Ego Boost Leave-in Conditioner and Split End Mender and run it through your strands at night to wake up to soft, supple and well-conditioned hair in the morning.
02. Don’t sleep on wet hair

Those of you who prefer to wash your hair in the evening, ensure that your hair is completely dry before you hit the sheets. This is because your hair is extremely weak and brittle when wet, and the friction will only cause more breakage, easily leading to excess hair fall.
03. Brush your hair

Tangled hair is a major cause of hair fall; therefore, it is imperative to gently brush your hair before going to bed. This will help eliminate all the tangles, improve blood circulation and distribute the excess natural oils evenly throughout the hair. This coats your hair in moisture and reduces the chances of friction, which is really important if you want to avoid waking up to lots of broken hair strands.
04. Use a silk pillowcase

A major cause of hair breakage is the friction caused due to the hair rubbing on the cotton pillowcase while you toss and turn. This is also why you wake up to your hair feeling super dry and frizzy on most mornings. A simple way to avoid this issue is to switch to a silk pillowcase as it is a lot gentler and reduces friction.
05. Choose your bedtime hairstyle carefully

The way you tie your hair when sleeping could also be a sneaky cause of hair fall. Tying your hair in tight hairstyles, using metal or rubber hair ties put a lot of strain on your follicles, weakening them and in turn causing a lot of hair fall. It is best to leave your hair open, or tie it in a really loose braid or bun using satin hair ties.
Written by Urvi Dalal on Jan 04, 2021
Writer, avid reader and hardcore beauty enthusiast is the best way to describe Urvi Dalal. With over 5 years of writing experience in the beauty industry, you can trust her to have the latest skin, hair and makeup tidbits on her fingertips. In her time working as a beauty writer, she has had the opportunity to interact and work closely with a string of dermatologists, makeup artists and hairstylists. All that knowledge exchange, coupled with her flair and love for writing make it possible for her to bring you some authentic yet fun beauty content. When Urvi isn’t working, you’d usually catch her curled up with a big, fat book, drinking a cup of tea or practising her makeup skills; there is no in-between!