Wearing a wig is one of the easiest ways to instantly change your look, without having to commit to changing your hairstyle permanently.
You can play around with different lengths, styles, and colors, and you can wear them anywhere you want and then take them off when you’re done!
However, you might be wondering whether you can sleep in them. Like how about if you’re staying over somewhere where you’re wearing your wig? What if you get back from a party really late and you want to go straight to bed without taking it off?
Or even, what about if you’ve glued the wig on so that it stays firmer, and you still want to wear it the following day. Can you sleep in it? Or will sleep in a wig ruin it?
The good news is, that you can indeed sleep in a wig. It might not be the most comfortable option, but it means that you’ll already have your wig on and ready for the next day.
However, sleeping in a wig is not the most recommended option, and it has many downsides.
So if you want to sleep in your wig, or have no option but to sleep in it, then it’s important that you take the necessary precautions so that you still get a comfortable night’s sleep, and the wig isn’t ruined in the process.
Is it recommended to sleep in your wig?
Sleeping in a wig is not recommended. In fact, you should only sleep in a wig if you don’t have another choice, or if it’s a wig that you’ve glued on so that it stays on for multiple days or weeks.
A better option is to take off your wig before you go to bed, allowing both your head and the wig to rest, and to put it back on in the morning.
One of the reasons wigs aren’t recommended during sleep is that they can get seriously ruined in the process.
Perhaps you’re one of those people that magically wakes up every day with neat princess hair, but most people tend to move around quite a lot in their sleep, shifting and stirring so that they end up waking up with a serious case of bed hair.
If this happens while you’re wearing a wig, it’s going to get extremely tangled, which might significantly damage it and make it lose strands of hair.
A severely tangled wig is basically unwearable, and you’ll be forced to not only take it off but to then spend time and effort revitalizing it so that it looks good again.
In which case, sleeping in the wig was useless, and it caused damage rather than saving you time in the morning.
Another reason why wearing a wig during sleep is not recommended, is that it can cause a lot of discomforts. Not only while you’re sleeping, which can result in a bad night of rest, but also in the long run and during the following day.
Both your wig and your head need to rest, as otherwise, the wig can begin to irritate your skin and scalp. Keeping it on for too long can also cause your head to overheat and build-up sweat and oils, which will also eventually cause discomfort.
Taking your wig off lets your head cool down and rest from the weight, as well as letting your hair breathe. And it will let the wig retain its shape and freshness.
How to sleep in a wig:
If you’re really set on sleeping in your wig, or you don’t have a choice in the matter, that’s okay.
There are ways in which you can sleep with your wig on, that help prevent any damage or discomfort. That way, all of the downsides of sleeping in your wig can be either reduced or avoided.
Here are a few tricks and tips:
- Wrap your head
Whichever type of wig you wear, whether it’s made out of synthetic hair or with real human hair, too much friction can cause damage to it.
This is because friction leads to tangling, frizz, dryness, and the deterioration of the hair fibers which then leads to the hairs falling out.
To avoid friction while you sleep, you can wrap your wig hair up into a silk fabric scarf, or a soft t-shirt, by laying the hair flat on your head and ensuring it’s completely covered and secured.
- Give extra care to your wig before and after
As your wig is going to have to endure a full night of you sleeping in it, you should give it some extra care before and after, to minimize the damage done to it.
This means that you should gently brush it in a thorough manner, to ensure it’s not tangled. This will help avoid the wig matting or becoming too frizzy.
You can also spray in some leave-in conditioner, to ensure it’s protected and well-moisturized throughout the night, helping it tangle a lot less.
- Use a silk or satin pillowcase
This is actually recommended for real hair as well, so it’s a tip you can take into account whether you’re wearing a wig or not.
Silk and satin fabric can protect your hair, and the wig, from getting tangled and developing frizz, as it causes a lot less friction than normal pillowcases do. If you use this method, then there is no need for you to wrap your head.
- Invest in a sleeping wig
If you find that you often need to sleep in a wig, or you’re wearing a wig that is intended to stay on for several days or weeks on end, then you might want to invest in a sleeping wig. A sleeping wig is essentially a wig that has been designed to withstand being slept in.
Some people have both a daytime and a sleeping wig, while some wigs are able to act as both.
- Don’t do it every day
This one is kind of obvious, but if you want to avoid as much damage as possible, then you really shouldn’t sleep in your wig every day. Instead, give yourself and your wig regular breaks, so that you minimize all of the negative effects.
Conclusion
Experts don’t recommend sleeping in a wig, as it can be quite uncomfortable, and it can cause severe damage to your wig due to the friction caused by it in your sleep.
However, if you have no choice but to sleep in your wig, there are different things that you can do to either minimize or outright avoid the damage done to the wig.
Overall, you need to minimize the friction that the wig suffers while you sleep, to avoid getting it tangled and frizzy, which leads to the deterioration of the hair fibers. This can be done by using protective gear, and by using softer pillow cases such as satin and silk.