No, a child should not go to bed with wet hair because wet hair is weaker and prone to breakage, tangles, and frizz, while the dampness can create a breeding ground for fungus, bacteria, dandruff, or scalp irritation on their pillow. While it won't directly cause a cold, it's still a poor habit for hair and scalp health, so it's better to towel-dry or gently blow-dry hair with cool air before sleep.
Sleeping with wet hair does not always cause damage, but may increase the likelihood of waking up with tangled or broken strands. Each strand of hair is made of a complex network of proteins and cells.
It's not good to sleep with damp hair. Sleeping with wet hair can potentially lead to breakage, and it can increase the risk of a fungal infection in the scalp because fungus and yeast thrive in moist environments.
Before tucking your kids in for the night, make sure their hair is dry as can be. If bath time falls just before bedtime, no worries! Simply wrap their hair in a microfibre towel or give it a quick blast with a cool diffuser to speed up the drying process.
Additionally, moisture from your hair can seep into your pillow, creating a damp surface that may harbour bacteria, dust mites, and mould, further contributing to scalp problems. Although sleeping with wet hair won't always lead to fungus or mould growth, the risk does increase with frequent exposure.
Common indicators that a pillow may have mold include: Visible discoloration: Mold often appears as dark green, gray, black, or yellowish spots or patches. These marks usually deepen over time. Musty or damp odor: Even if mold isn't visible, a strong, earthy smell is often a telltale sign of mold growth.
Universal tips for sleeping with wet hair
It can be many months, even years, before children stay dry overnight. Most children, but not all, stop bedwetting between the ages of 5 and 6 years old. Bedwetting is more common in deep sleepers.
If possible, it's best to fully air-dry your hair before going to bed. Even with the help of a silk pillowcase, sleeping on wet hair can create friction, increase frizz, and promote breakage. This is because extra moisture can weaken your hair's structure.
Bacterial breeding ground
The inside of a warm, damp mattress is the ideal breeding ground for a whole load of nasty things. Bacteria, fungal growth, dust mites, and even bed bugs all thrive in this environment.
It is always better to go to bed with dry hair as much as possible. Wet hair is prone to fungal infections because our pillows and bedsheets can act as a major hotbed for mold. Our bedrooms are also warm and cozy environments that help fungus thrive.
The truth is that yes, you can sleep with wet hair (and no, you won't wake up suddenly blind). The main danger of going to bed with wet hair is that it can cause hair concerns like frizzing, tangles, and breakage. This is because hair is more fragile when it's wet.
While the American Academy of Pediatrics advises that parents avoid bed-sharing for a baby's first year of life to reduce risk of sudden infant death syndrome (Ben-Joseph, 2022), they offer no official sleep guidelines for children of toddler and preschool age (e.g., 1 to 6 years old).
How to safely blow dry your child's natural hair
It occurs when the hair shaft becomes excessively saturated with water or moisture-retaining products, like deep conditioners and leave-in treatments. Moisture overload tends to affect those with high hair porosity, causing it to look limp, stringy, and greasy.
“Wet hair is more fragile and prone to damage. Sleeping with wet hair can lead to increased friction against the pillow, causing breakage and weakening of the hair shaft. Moreover, a moist scalp can be a breeding ground for bacteria and fungus, potentially leading to scalp issues.”
While it's very unlikely that mold can grow on your hair and scalp, your pillows and pillowcases are not exempt, says Proudman. “[These] will absorb moisture and become damp from wet hair, which can lead to the fabrics becoming smelly and developing mold,” she says.
Most children outgrow bed-wetting on their own — but some need a little help. In other cases, bed-wetting may be a sign of an underlying condition that needs medical attention. Talk to your child's doctor or other health care professional if: Your child still wets the bed after age 7.
That's cycles of 10 minutes in the yard, 10 feet of potty area in the yard, 10 minutes of supervision.
Talk to your child about night-time potty training. Tell them how grown up they are and how they will need to use the potty or toilet at night if they need to go. Reassure them they can ask for help if they need it. Always ask your child to use the potty or toilet last thing before bed as part of their bedtime routine.
DO: Use A Healthy Organic Leave-In Conditioning Treatment. Apply a leave-in conditioning treatment to the ends of your hair, avoiding your roots to prevent greasiness when you wake from your beauty sleep. And that's where Number 4 Smoothing Balm with Fluoro Technology comes in.
Therefore, damp hair increases the risk of developing a fungal or bacterial infection on the scalp, during summer due to warmer conditions or a viral infection during winter.