Protecting Your Hair While You Sleep

There are four, and they stack.

1. A bonnet or sleep cap, which covers your hair. See best satin bonnets and best silk bonnets.
2. A satin or silk pillowcase, which makes the pillow smoother. See best satin pillowcases for hair.
3. A soft scrunchie, which holds hair gently. See best sleep scrunchies.
4. A low-tension hairstyle, which needs no product. See sleeping hairstyles that avoid tension.

Each one addresses a different part of the night. A bonnet cuts rubbing and holds a style in place. A pillowcase changes the surface where hair meets the pillow. A scrunchie and a loose style control tension, which comes from how hair is gathered rather than what it lies on.

Start with one change, live with it for a couple of weeks, then add another if you need it.

Your situation	Start with
Long, curly, coily or styled hair	A roomy bonnet
Short or straight hair	A satin pillowcase
You dislike wearing anything on your head	A satin pillowcase
Your hair is gathered up at night	A soft scrunchie and a looser style
You cannot decide	See bonnet vs satin pillowcase

Satin is the sensible first choice for any of them. Kitsch's oversized satin bonnet is $22, its satin pillowcase $29 and its sleep scrunchies $10 for five. That is a small outlay for a trial, and it tells you which habit you will keep.

Both are smooth. Silk is a natural fiber and costs more; satin describes the weave and is usually polyester in these products. Product pages do not always say, and Kitsch does not publish fiber content for its satin items beyond the word satin.

	Satin examples	Silk examples
Bonnet	Kitsch oversized, $22	Blissy, $94.95; Slip, $110
Pillowcase	Kitsch, $29; Grace Eleyae, $24.70	Blissy, $105.95; Slip, $120; Grace Eleyae, $61.20
Scrunchies	Kitsch sleep set, $10 for 5	Tele Ties, $29.99 for 3; Slip, $51 for 6

No brand page publishes a test that ranks one fabric above the other for hair, so price and care effort are the honest tie-breakers. Satin is cheaper to replace; silk is more delicate to care for. Read silk vs satin bonnet and silk vs satin pillowcase for the details.

The right setup depends on how much your hair moves and how easily it tangles at night. We have a night routine for each type: straight, wavy, curly and coily hair.

They share one idea: leave hair loose, smooth and covered. Beyond that, the guides differ in practical detail.

• Straight hair often needs only a smooth pillowcase and a loose tie.
• Wavy hair benefits from a loose gather and a covering that does not flatten the pattern.
• Curly hair usually calls for more room, so a roomy bonnet or a pillowcase plus a soft scrunchie.
• Coily hair tends to want full coverage and a style held without tension.

Kitsch says its oversized bonnet suits most hair types including long and curly hair.

Fit is the reason most bonnets get abandoned. A bonnet that is too small squeezes your style, and one that is too loose ends up on the floor by morning.

Start with the published facts. Slip's turban is one size and non-adjustable, 21 to 28 in (54 to 72 cm), and Slip says it may be a loose fit on short or fine hair. Kitsch's oversized bonnet has extra-long adjustable ties, but dimensions are not published. Grace Eleyae's Slap lists M-Original and L sizes with an elastic band, and the Adjustable Slap adds hidden drawstrings, which the brand aims at people whose bonnet slips off.

Read bonnet sizing and fit before buying. If you already own one that will not stay put, see best bonnets that stay on all night and why your bonnet keeps falling off.

Care decides how long the smooth surface lasts. The general method is the same for most items: cool water, a mild detergent, no fabric softener, a mesh bag and low heat or air drying.

Published instructions vary. Grace Eleyae says machine wash cold and tumble dry low for its satin pillowcase, and gentle wash with hang dry for its silk one. Slip says its silk pillowcase is machine washable and sends customers to its care page. Some brands publish no care on the product page, in which case the label is your guide.

Step-by-step guidance is in how to wash a silk bonnet and how to wash a satin pillowcase. When an item shows wear, how long bonnets and pillowcases last lists the signs. No brand publishes a lifespan.

Overnight is only part of the picture. A satin-lined beanie or cap gives hair a smooth surface under a hat, so a style is not rubbing on knit all day.

The options are different in kind. Kitsch's Glazey beanie is $22, and Grace Eleyae's Foldover Warm Slap is $38 with a 100% acrylic outer, charmeuse satin lining and spot-clean care. Grace Eleyae also sells a satin-lined baseball hat at $28.11.

A beanie is warmer and bulkier than a sleep cap, so it does not replace a bonnet. See best satin-lined beanies for the options and satin-lined beanie vs bonnet for how the two products differ in warmth, fit and care.