How To Curl Your Hair Overnight: 7 Tips to keep it Curly

Curling your hair overnight can save you time in the morning and help keep your style in for longer. There are many different methods that people use to curl their hair overnight. Below we will be looking into different methods that you do to wake up with curls in the morning. 

How to Curl Your Hair Overnight 

• French Braid Overnight Curls 

The first method we are looking at is making your hair curly by braiding your hair in French Style. Wash your hair with shampoo and conditioner to have them clean and shiny. Comb your hair very gently but don’t use a brush on your wet hair. 

Divide your hair into different sections and tie them with a rubber band individually. Take a section at a time and start the braid. Depending on the number of braids that you do that will be the number of curls you end up with. Keep in mind that your braids should be done tightly otherwise you won’t have curls, instead, your hair will be wavy. Braid them as close to the scalp as you possibly can. 

The French Style braids are more voluminous and give off luxurious curls as they are braided right from the scalp. If you braid them tightly and crimped and un-tie them, you can get afro-style curls. Once you have braided your hair, you can go to bed and sleep with them. The hair will dry overnight and be ready to wear in the morning.

Loosen the braids in the morning one at a time without brushing the hairs. You can roll your fingers through them to separate the hairs. Use your fingers to fluff them up and apply a hair spray to help the curls stay in longer. If you want, you can accessorize but it’s best to leave them open. 

• Overnight Curls with Braid Twists 

Make sure your hair is at least 60% dry before you start styling them. When they are damp, split your hair into two big sections down the middle, leaving it with hair hanging on the right and left sides of your head. Take one half and divide that into two sections and start twisting these in the same way together as you did with the French Braid previously. 

When you twist the hair, make sure to take one section of hair to each section and this will give the hairs the same twist to get those perfect curls. You must keep twisting your hair to make sure that no hair remains alone and that you are left with only two last strands then twist them together and put a hair tie at the end of the twists to secure them. 

Repeat the process on the other side as well. Once you have twisted both sides, wait for them to dry properly. Give it about 3-4 hours to get it dried properly. This will ensure that you have proper curls. If your hair is dry, you can undo them. Start opening the curls one at a time without using a comb or a hairbrush so you don’t spoil the texture. Use your fingers or a wide-tooth comb to untangle any hairs. 

Try not to tangle them when you undo them, so carefully separate it by using your fingers as you undo the twists. Once you have untied both sides, shake your hair to give it a fluffy look. Use hairspray to set them and keep them locked in for longer. 

Here are 7 Ways That You Can Use To Preserve Your Curly Hair Overnight 

1. Use a silk scarf to wrap your hair 

This is one of the best materials to use to keep your curls in place overnight. Fold your silk scarf into a triangle and make sure that the shiny side is on the outside. That side is softer and will be gentle on your curls. Flip the scarf over and put it on your shoulders like you would wear a shawl. Bring the ends of the scarf up and tie it around your head, check that your curls aren’t sticking out. 

Then take the triangular piece at the back and pull it up. Hold the end of the scarf with one hand and use your other hand to push all your curls into the scarf like a hair buff that you have just made. Pull the end to the front and tuck it under the knot to secure it in place. If there are any other ends or sections that are sticking out, tuck them in as well. Take the two ends and tie them at the back but don’t wrap the scarf too tightly as you don’t want to suffer from a headache. 

This method is supposed to help retain your hair's natural moisture, protect the curls, and prevent any overnight damage from rubbing your head against the pillowcase. 

2. Plop your curls 

Use a t-shirt to plop your curls. This is a method used to speed up the air-drying process to avoid going to be with soaked hair. 

The process is as follows:

Take a cotton t-shirt and lay it down flat in front of you with the sleeves facing away from your body. Put it on a bed or chair as you will need to flip your hair over the t-shirt to avoid a high surface. Now, flip your hair over and place it in the center of the T-shirt. Take the section that is away from you and put it on the top of your head. Take the arms of the t-shirt to wrap over your head and tie them in the front. Any pieces that stick out should be tucked in. 

You can also choose to use a micro towel instead of a cotton t-shirt, this will absorb the water quickly if you are on a tight schedule and need to get into bed as soon as you are done showering. You can also choose to use two cotton t-shirts instead of using one, this way you don’t go to bed with a soaked t-shirt wrapped around your head. Switch them before getting into bed. 

3. Pineapple and Medusa Clipping 

To do this hairstyle, flip your head over and smooth the curls with your hands and then pull your hair into a very high loose ponytail. Use a static hair tie or a scrunchie. This method works great if you have medium-length hair. This is where the medusa clipping comes into play. 

If you have long curly hair, pull sections of your pineapple closer to the top of your head and clip them with the claw clips. However, if your hair is short, skip making the pineapple and simply just pull your hair up in sections and clip the curls on top of your head. 

4. Make a Pineapple Bun 

You can use another pineapple method and this one involves twisting your hair into a loose bun. Simply flip your head over and work with your hands to gather all your hair into a high ponytail. Then tie the ponytail with an elastic once. When you pull the hair through the elastic the second time, only pull it through halfway creating the pineapple bun by only pulling the hair and not the ends through. 

Wear a silk scarf or bonnet to further protect your bun. 

5. French Braid Your Curls 

As mentioned above the French Braid is an ideal method to keep those curls overnight. Untangle your hair with your fingers instead of using a brush or a comb. Start braiding by gathering a big chunk of hair at the top of your head and separating it into three even strands. Then, twisting the three pieces as in a traditional braid means crossing the one right over to the center. Add in new hair by grabbing hair from the side of the strand that you want to cross over and combining it with the braid itself. 

Do this until you reach the nape and then continue down the hair until you’ve braided the remaining hair and tie it with a hair tie at the bottom. If you aren’t someone that wants to have stretch curls at the crown of your head rather do two French braids instead of one but make sure that they are the same size on both sides to have even curls in the morning. 

6. Make Bantu Knots 

These are popular to protect natural hair. Separate your hair into 7-12 sections about 3-4 inches wide. You can start by making three at a time as you move on to the back and the rest of your head. Take hair from one section and twist it around itself a few times. This will create a coil. Wrap the coil into a tiny bun and tuck the ends under the coil or use a bobby pin or clips to secure them. 

Create new sections and complete this until your whole head is covered in Bantu knots. If your hair is wavier, you might need to twist the coils a little tighter and keep your curled hair twisted in smaller knots. If you would prefer looser curls, then consider twisting larger sections. Make sure that you do not tighten these coils too tightly that it makes it uncomfortable to sleep in or position your head on the pillow. 

7. Slip-on a Silk or Satin Pillowcase 

This method preserves hairstyles and prevents frizz and breakage. If you don’t have a silk pillowcase yet you can use a silk scarf instead:

Take your silk scarf and place it flat on the surface with its shiny side down. Then place your pillow on top in the way that the corners of the scarf protrude each side of the pillow. Pull the opposing ends and tie them down on top of your pillow. Do the same on the other two ends. Smooth out and tuck any sides that are sticking out in and turn the pillow upside down. There you have a DIYed pillowcase made from silk. 

What Should You Do To Your Hair First Thing in The Morning 

In the morning, pull your hair, roots and give your curls some shake to return the volume to the top parts of the curls. You can apply a hair powder to your hair and rub it into the roots if you need an extra lift. Use some hairspray on the sections of your hair that might need some restyling, scrunch, or twist the hair around your fingers to reshape the coils and make them tighter. Use a lotion or a serum to help take care of any frizz and help define the tips. 

Are You Ready For The Curls?

Who knew that sleeping with your hair impacted the health of your hair and how it would be in the morning? It is better to have your hair tied up for the night. 

Place your curls on top of your head so that you don’t lay on them and flatten them with the weight of the head on them. Sleeping with your curls up will help give them a definition as well. No matter which side you sleep on. 

Make sure to not tie your hair up too tightly when you go to bed at night even though it is to keep the hairstyle in place. This may cause some friction with your hair and give you headaches. You can also use bandanas, headbands, and pins to keep your curls in place overnight. Follow the ways you can preserve your curls overnight as well as what methods you can do to make those curls for the next morning. Using these JuvaBun tips should not prevent you from still getting a goodnight’s sleep and if it does bother you, be sure to check if you have followed the proper instructions.

Read More:

20+ Easy Hairstyles For Short And Long Hair