how to protect curly hair when you sleep, girl making a pineapple
Curly Girl Basics, Curly Hair

3 Easy Ways to Protect Your Curly Hair at Night

If you’re a curly girl, you know that your hair can get a little wild sometimes. Because curls are held together by delicate chemical bonds, they are easily disturbed. High winds, humidity, and even working out can mess up your perfect curls. Often, these are beyond your control—and there are smart ways to protect your curls. But one of the biggest mistakes a curly girl can make is not protecting your hair when you go to bed.  You need to protect curly hair at night.

Here are 3 ways to protect curly hair at night

1. Protect curls with a silk or satin pillowcase.

satin pillowcase to protect curls at night
The best pillowcase in the world! Merci, Grandmaman!

Because traditional cotton pillowcases have rough fibres, they can cause frizz and breakage in your curls. You might go to bed with gorgeous curls, but you’ll likely wake up with frizz and tangles. And that’s not a good feeling!

This satin pillowcase was sewn by my sweet grandmaman. It’s a buttery soft satin material. And I’ve noticed a huge difference in my hair when I sleep on it. I wake up with shinier, more orderly curls every time. And, even if I sleep on semi-wet hair, it still turns out well!

I’ll be sharing a few pillowcase recommendations at the end of this post!

2. Protect curly hair at night with a pineapple.

protect curly hair with a pineapple
This is what a p i n e a p p l e looks like!
girl protecting curls at night with a pineapple, back view
The back of the pineapple.

Now, I know that this hairstyle is a bit, shall we say, unusual. Your siblings may or may not tease you about having a bird’s nest on your head. However, rest assured that it is a small sacrifice for beautiful curls.  

I learned this technique from the book Curly Girl: The Handbook. Although it may take you a few tries at first, you’ll soon be able to do it in your sleep. This technique should be used on dry hair for best results.

You can also try using a silk or satin scrunch instead of an elastic, to prevent frizz.

For a quick tutorial on how to do a pineapple, you can watch this video on Youtube:

Personally, I find that the pineapple works best if I loosen a front section of my hair first. Pretend that you’re going to make a pompadour, and clip it in place with a tiny jaw clip. Then, make a pineapple and take out the clip. 

3. Try a high ponytail to protect curly hair at night.

girl wearing a high ponytails to protect curls when you sleep
I could totally be an 80’s child.

But what if you have to sleep on semi-wet hair? You could just spread your hair over your pillow and let it air dry. Depending on your hair, you could have some pretty interesting results. #beenthere 

For me, I like to put it in a high ponytail. Just turn upside down, gather your hair on top of your head, and loop an elastic (hair tie) around your hair twice. For a more secure ponytails, you can add 2 or 3 claw clips to connect the elastic and your hair.

Y’all down south say, “hair ties.” This Canadian girl says, “elastics.” You’re welcome! 

-Claudine

Shop This Post:

Silk Pillowcases

Silk Scrunchies

Silk Eyemask

Let’s Chat:

Do you like pineapples or high ponytails better? Curly girls, what are your favourite tips to protect curly hair at night? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

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p.s. Some of the items in this post are affiliate links. I only post about products that I love + think you’ll probably love, too! As an Amazon Associate or affiliate for other programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. When you purchase through my link, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. Thank you SO much for your support!

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8 Comments

  1. Girl, you is CUTE with a pineapple! 😍 I’ve tried them, but my hair is just a way crazy mess 🙈 I’m going to try giving satin pillowcases a try…excellent post! 😘

    1. admin says:

      Haha! I love people’s reactions when I wear one- I may or may not have given someone a shock when they saw me wearing one around 6 am (w/no makeup) at Bible camp. Gotta love pineapples! Yes, satin pillowcases are uh-mazing! If you’re crafty at all, just sew one yourself! 🙂
      love in Christ,
      Claudine

  2. I’m not a curly girl, but I do wonder if a pineapple would help my curls last longer/overnight when I curl my hair. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Loved this post! I love how organized your posts always are! 💜

    1. admin says:

      Aww, thank you! I appreciate it! Yes, it probably would. The basic idea is to minimize how much your hair moves around. If your hair is super slippery, you can also add bobby pins or small jaw clips to the elastic to help it stay in place. 💜

  3. Sara Thren says:

    Thanks, Claudine, for this post! Super helpful. Your lovely pineapple photo shoot brings back sweet memories of Teen Thunder for me! Lol. I pineapple my hair too and it makes a world of difference! I’ve never tried a satin pillow case though… Something I’m gonna have to try out!

    1. admin says:

      Yes! No kidding! I actually started CG method right before Teen Thunder a couple years ago. 🙂 Yes, satin pillowcases are super helpful- you could even sew your own. Have a wonderful day, my friend!
      love in Christ,
      Claudine

  4. […] always sleep with a pineapple to protect my curly hair at night. It’s super easy and actually quite comfortable, […]

  5. […] always sleep with a pineapple to protect my curly hair at night. It’s super easy and actually quite comfortable, […]

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