A Night Routine for Wavy Hair

Wavy hair needs less than curly hair and more care than straight hair. The goal is to keep the wave pattern intact without squashing it.

1. Dry mostly. Aim for dry or nearly dry hair at bedtime. If you used a styling product, let it set first.
2. Detangle lightly. Use fingers or a wide-tooth comb, working from the ends up.
3. Gather loosely. Lean forward, collect the hair at the crown, and wrap a soft scrunchie around once. A very loose braid also works for longer waves.
4. Cover. Put on a bonnet with room inside so it sits over the gathered hair without pressing it down.
5. Back up. Sleep on a satin or silk pillowcase in case the bonnet shifts.
6. Morning. Take out the scrunchie, shake the hair out, and scrunch upward.

Keep the whole thing gentle. Waves lose their shape under pressure and frizz under friction, so every step is about avoiding one of those two things.

One with room. A close-fitting cap pushes against the hair and can flatten the pattern you are trying to keep, especially at the crown where the pineapple sits.

What to look for:

• Volume inside. The bonnet should cover your gathered hair without compressing it.
• Adjustable ties or drawstring. Roomy bonnets can slide, so you want a way to snug the opening without squeezing the hair.
• Smooth lining. Satin or silk both work; fit matters more than fabric.

Kitsch describes its Oversized Satin Bonnet as a double-layered satin bonnet with a roomy fit and extra-long adjustable ties, suitable for most hair types, at $22. Kitsch does not publish dimensions. For a silk option, Blissy says its Bonnet is 100% mulberry silk for all hair types, at $94.95, and also does not publish measurements on the page. If you want to check fit first, read bonnet sizing and fit. The wider comparison is in best satin bonnets.

You can, but plan for it. Very wet hair takes hours to dry, stays heavy, and tends to dry flat on whichever side you sleep on. That is the usual cause of one-sided waves in the morning.

If you are going to bed damp, use this approach:

How wet	What to do
Barely damp	Gather loosely, cover, and carry on as usual
Damp through the lengths	Use a bonnet or a satin pillowcase, and expect to refresh in the morning
Soaking	Towel-blot or air dry first; do not cover wet hair tightly

A bonnet over wet hair can also hold dampness against the scalp, so make sure it is not pressed down. In the morning, take it off, shake hair out, and let it finish drying before you style. If you often go to bed damp, moving your wash to earlier in the evening is the easier fix than any product.

Two options cover most waves.

A loose pineapple. Lean your head forward, gather everything at the crown, and wrap a soft scrunchie once. It keeps the lengths off the pillow and keeps the wave pattern stacked rather than crushed. The common mistake is wrapping the scrunchie two or three times; one loop is enough.

A very loose braid. For longer waves, one loose braid at the nape, fastened at the ends, keeps hair together and cuts down on tangling. Stop braiding when the wave pattern would be pulled straight; a braid that stretches the wave out will leave a crimped, stretched look in the morning.

Avoid tight elastics, clips, and anything that leaves a line. If you sleep on your side, the pineapple may press into the pillow, so move the scrunchie slightly toward the top of your head. See sleeping hairstyles that avoid tension for more detail on each style and on signs that something is too tight.

Do less, not more. Brushing breaks up the wave pattern and tends to produce frizz.

1. Take out the scrunchie and lift hair gently away from the scalp.
2. Shake out the lengths. Use your fingertips to separate any waves that stuck together.
3. Mist lightly with water if the hair looks dry or lopsided. Use a spray bottle with a fine mist, not a splash.
4. Scrunch upward in small handfuls, from the ends toward the roots.
5. Let it dry for a few minutes before touching it again.

If a section is flat, wet only that section, scrunch it, and leave it alone. Reaching for a heat tool is rarely needed for a night of lost shape, and it undoes the point of protecting hair overnight. Add your usual styling product at the end, if you use one.

If you find you need to do a full restyle every morning, that is a signal to look at the routine itself, not to work harder on the restyle.

Go through three checks in order.

Is something pressing? A tight bonnet, a tight scrunchie, or a bonnet that sits against the crown can flatten waves. Try a roomier bonnet or a looser gather. Our night routine for curly hair covers the same room principle.

Is it the sleeping position? If you sleep on one side, that side may flatten. Gathering at the crown instead of the back of the head helps, and so does a smooth pillowcase that lets hair shift without catching.

Is hair going to bed too wet? Very damp hair dries flat. Dry more before bed.

If all three look fine and waves still drop, the style itself may need a different approach, such as a looser braid, and changing one thing at a time will show which change helps. A satin scrunchie such as Kitsch's sleep set ($10 for five) is a low-cost way to try a gentler tie. See best sleep scrunchies for other options.