Source: Lovelocsnatural.com
If you’re new to the dreadlock journey or have recently noticed a growth spurt in your locs, you may be wondering how to sleep comfortably with your locs. Sometimes the volume of dreadlocks can make lying comfortably a little more challenging. Also, although locs don’t require a great deal of maintenance, they do need to be protected overnight to be healthy, strong, and look their best.
Related: How to Get Lint Out of Locs
Tips for Sleeping with Locs
Here are tips for maintaining your locs while sleeping.
Cover Them Up
One of the best things you can do to protect your locs overnight is to cover them up. If your locs are very long, you may find that you wake up with your hair in a tangled mess every morning. One way to prevent this is to wear a satin cap or nylon stocking. It will restrict the activity of your locs, stopping them from moving too much and becoming tangled.
Wearing a cap also prevents your locs from accumulating lint and other small debris from your bed linens. Additionally, covering your locs at night prevents moisture loss. Your locs can become dry overnight, and dryness is a major problem for dreadlocks for most people. You have to go the extra mile to maintain moisture levels.
Clean Your Sheets and Pillows
Dreadlocks love to draw in dust, lint, and debris. So, it’s essential to keep your bed linens clean and free of dust and lint. Give them a visible check between laundry days, just to ensure that there’s nothing that can attach itself to your locs. Even if you wear a satin cap, it could come off at night. You want to make sure that if it does, there is no debris to get stuck in your locs.
To pick up the lint bits that you can’t see, run a lint roller over your pillows.
Tie Them Up
Another remedy for overnight tangled locs is to tie up your hair. You can do this in a variety of ways, depending on the length of your locs. You can use a headband, pull it up in a bun, or do some clever braid or twists. A low ponytail will also do if you lay on your back and worry about being comfortable. The idea is that overnight, you don’t leave your hair just ‘out,’ you restrain it loosely but securely.
Tying your locs back or up will also prevent damage due to friction. Depending on how active you are at night, you could be damaging your roots by rubbing the back or sides of your head against your pillow. Friction can cause dryness, breakage, and thinning of your roots.
Experiment with different ways to quickly secure your locs. Everyone develops their own way of doing this, and at night your locs will be safely secured and comfortable.
Are you looking for insights into all things locs? We believe that taking care of your natural locs shouldn’t be a hassle. We provide vegan, residue-free loc hair products. Check out Lion Locs for more information.
Forget the Pillows
If your locs are very thick or long, you may find that you wake up with neck pain. This might be because your locs are boosting your head and ruining your alignment while you’re asleep. You can try losing your pillows at night and rest your head directly on your bed. You may have to experiment with different size pillows or cushions until you find the right height to accommodate your locs under your head.
Related: Should You Get Locs? Here’s Everything You Need to Know
Satin Pillows and Sheets
These may seem over-the-top luxurious, but satin (or satin finish) bed linens are a practical solution for protecting your locs. Damage due to friction will be a thing of the past with this bedding. You’ll sleep peacefully knowing that your locs are not rubbing up against harsh cotton sheets and pillowcases, and your body will feel amazing. A comfortable sleep and frizz-free, lint-free locs will be your morning reward for sleeping on this super-smooth bedding.
Go Mohawk
If sleeping with locs is genuinely a challenge for you, consider a slightly more drastic solution - go mohawk! We know, cutting the sides (and maybe, the back) of your hair is a big deal, but hear us out. With no locs around the sides of your head, not only will you improve your comfort and sleep, but you’ll gain an edgy, trendy hairstyle.
A mohawk will be easier to maintain and probably be more comfortable during the day as well as at night.
Get Them Out of Your Way
If you aren’t up for caps, nylon stockings, satin sheets and pillowcases, or shaving the sides of your head, then don’t use any of that. To get a good night’s sleep with your locs, you can simply push them out of your way. If your locs are long, then just as you lay your head on the pillow, gently pull them away from your head and body. Consider a variety of placements until you find something that works for you.
One incredibly comfortable way is to fan your gorgeous locs out above your head while your head lays on the pillow. Alternatively, you can allow your locs to flow over the edge of your bed. The idea is to find a placement for your locs while you sleep that won’t let them get trapped under your body or head.
Related: How to Stop Your Scalp From Itching if You Have Locs
Final Thoughts on Sleeping with Locs
Although sleeping with locs can be challenging; they’re well worth the work to find a way to sleep comfortably with them. The above tips will help you not only to rest comfortably but to protect your locs while you do.
Are you considering the loc journey or are you already on it? We know that your locs are more than just a hairstyle or look, it’s a lifestyle. Bring us on your journey. Check out Lion Locs to learn more.