Wet hair and colds

[mortiziia]

I've read many of you go to sleep with damp hair and I was wondering... am I the only one getting sick as a dog every time I do this? :no: Last Saturday I went to bed only three hours after I had my hair washed, and... well, I'll spare you the details. I'm just out of bed today and still feel very poorly, my cervical lymph nodes are swollen and hurt... and my hair is filthy from all the sweating from the temperature. I really need to wash it again, but I fear I won't be able to move from bed tomorrow.

Is there something special to do not to catch cold while having your hair wet? Do you wrap it before going to bed or something like that? Do you wash your scalp only during the cold season? This is the first winter I won't be blow-drying and I can't help being concerned about colds, since I have a chronic lung disease (nothing serious, but I need to keep an eye on it).

Thanks in advance for any suggestion(s)!

[taliarose]

I'm an asthmatic with chronic hayfever. I stopped using a blowdrier about 20 odd years ago. I towel dry till hair is damp not dripping and just go to bed. Becuase of the lenght I recently started putting my hair in a bun before bed. It's slightly damp in the morning but I don't get colds or anything.

[spidermom]

I can't remember a time when going to bed with wet hair (and I've done it a lot) made me sick, and I sleep with my window open, too. If I'm already sick, like I am right now, I make sure to dry it before bed, like I did last night. Wet or dry, before bed I usually make a top-of-head ponytail, then gently twist the length a bit and wrap it around and around the base of the ponytail, tucking the ends under the scrunchie.

[atlantaz3]

I'm with you last winter I tried not blow drying my hair and got a sinus infection. I know a lot of people say the wet head has nothing to do with getting a cold or infection. I think any time I get chilled or stay wet/damp for an extended period of time, I'll feel ill. So winter time I try to let my hair go an extra day between washes, but blow dry. The other method I'm going to try and learn is scalp washing - my previous attempts were not very successfull.

[Periwinkle]

I don't go to bed with dripping wet hair, but I used to (shower and then go straight to bed with only a quick rub with a towel). I never got sick at all from it.

If you can get your hair dry-ish, then you can put it up and that should help.

[mortiziia]

I know a lot of people say the wet head has nothing to do with getting a cold or infection. I think any time I get chilled or stay wet/damp for an extended period of time, I'll feel ill.

I've noticed for me going to bed when my hair is not thoroughly dry means feeling sick the very next day, mathematical. Glad to hear there are lots of people who can actually sleep with damp hair and not get a cold. I guess I'll have to learn to wash the scalp only (tried before, too, but to no avail).

[mira-chan]

I washed my hair before bed and slept with it wet 95% of the time, my whole life. I've never had a problem from that.

[heidihug]

I wash before bedtime and I've never had a problem with feeling sick from it.

[Honey39]

I could not go to bed with wet hair - it makes me feel ill and feverish. Weirdly though, I can let my hair air dry in the morning and go out in the cold winter with wet hair and I'm fine, lol. But wet hair in bed makes me feel so yucky and ill. Maybe it's all in the mind for me, but I'm always astonished at the number of people here who can do it with no ill effects!

[Aisha25]

I cannot sleep with them wet the smell of herbs all in my pillow and face all night no way I would be up all night and feeling ill in the morning.

[cosmicboogie]

I'm actually the opposite, I have no problems sleeping with wet hair, but if I go out in the cold with wet hair I'm miserable for the next three days. Weird how that works.

[Isblå]

I wash before bed too, but if it is cold I will try to keep my head in a towel while I sleep. It feels a bit warmer, but I don't think I ever got sick from this. If I feel icky I will wear thick woolen socks to bead.

[Islandgrrl]

I've never gotten sick from going to bed with wet hair, and I sleep with an open window. If it's more than just damp I leave it loose and just cover my pillow with a towel and call it a night.

I don't make a habit of it, only because I like to be really, really warm when I sleep.

When my hair is dry or damp, I put it up into a bun and cover my head with a buff. Mmmmmm, warm, good.

Plenty of other reasons for me to get sick, but this has never been one of them.

[HairColoredHair]

Never gotten sick from wet hair... Sleeping on it is actually quite nice and I used to go outside in the freezing cold with sopping wet hair (and taking quite a bit of glee in watching it freeze solid.)

[mortiziia]

I have walked outside at -20ºC with my hair wet and seen it freezing almost instantly and never got sick, but as soon as I get in bed with damp hair I know I'm in for some very nasty cold (I never do it consciously, but sometimes I'm just so tired I don't pay attention to whether my hair has dried or not). I guess the sickness comes from having something damp touching my body for a long time rather than from coldness itself.

[Curlsgirl]

I go to bed with damp hair almost every time I wash and I never have a problem either. This is very interesting.

[mira-chan]

I'm actually the opposite, I have no problems sleeping with wet hair, but if I go out in the cold with wet hair I'm miserable for the next three days. Weird how that works.

Same here. :shrug:


I wash before bed too, but if it is cold I will try to keep my head in a towel while I sleep. It feels a bit warmer, but I don't think I ever got sick from this. If I feel icky I will wear thick woolen socks to bead.

I've done that too on the really cold nights.

[Alethia]

I used to delight in going out with wet hair and watching it freeze solid too! I've never got ill from doing that, nor from going to bed with wet hair. I can understand that people might feel uncomfortable going to bed with wet hair, but I don't understand how it can give you a cold. Colds are caused by viruses, plain and simple. All I can think of is that some people's immune systems are affected by going to bed with wet hair so they don't fight off cold viruses that have already got into you? :shrug: The only other thing I can think of is that the hypothalamus is close(ish) to the nape of the neck and that being chilled there messes with some people's thermoregulation. Interesting thread......

[mortiziia]

Alethia, I suppose you're right about the immune system being already weak and damp hair somehow 'helping' the virus. I have always been prone to respiratory diseases...

[Magicknthenight]

I always shower a few hours before bed. After i shower i put a towel under my hair so it can dry for the most part before i sleep. You could always try that? Just a thought. But i've never gotten sick from sleeping with wet hair. If its really cold where you are now you could always get a space heater? Or if its just the wet hair touching you then you could put it up with a little uhh what are those things called..jaw clips. >.> i think. I have been using those recently. Easy to adjust during the night!

[Stagecoach]

I'm the same way. That's a main reason I started damp bunning... it was the only thing I could do with my hair while it was wet!

[mira-chan]

Alethia, I suppose you're right about the immune system being already weak and damp hair somehow 'helping' the virus. I have always been prone to respiratory diseases...

Somewhat similar problem here. Chronic sinusitis can be set off by sitting near an air conditioner for a couple of minutes, not wet hair needed. My "colds" are not virus caused usually, they stem from the sinus problem. :(

[Kirin]

For informational purposes only, take it as you will, when you sleep your body temperature lowers as the systems slow down for rest. This coupled by damp/wet hair, may leave some with "chills" that persist several hours after waking. It is not an actual cold, but a feverish feeling as the body has a hard time re-regulating body temperature.

Since it is the head that is damp/wet and cooler, and most body heat is lost through the head (and it is the spot we usually don't cover with blankies hehe), its not uncommon to feel weathered, exposed or have chills. Not all of us do, but generally those with lower body core temperatures than normal, those on medications, who easily become ill with weaker immune systems, are underweight or who sleep particularly deeply.

[brok3nwings]

im for sure NOT a fan from going to bed with wet or damp hair. I really love to feel myself warm when sleeping or trying to. So the only way is almost dry hair and normally, totally dry hair. I usually take my bath at the morning so no problem for that. Anyway, i am really sensitive to changing weather so i think i am one of those who would probably get a cold once in a while doing that.

[brok3nwings]

kirin good information. I actually usually have my feet and hands really cold, i love to sleep with my boyfriend because his body temperature is really higher than mine. Its incredible the difference! I have sinusitis so almost anything makes my nose really cold and that is really anoying.

[Deborah]

I have slept with wet hair many, many times with no problem. I have low body temperature all the time, so I don't think body temp is a factor. The wet hair still has no effect on me.

I think people are just different in this way. Sometimes it may be coincidental; you may have a cold ready to reveal itself in the morning anyway, then you sleep with wet hair and logically but incorrectly assume the illness is the result of the wet hair.

[Laila23]

Yes, I get sick maybe 1 in every 3 or 4 times. I have to have the room really warm to prevent this. It develops into a nagging head cold. Some people are prone to this if they are upset by dampness (ayuverdic types kapha).

If your head is cold, the decrease in temperature allows more bacteria and virus to grow, so if your head is cold, it might just be this.

[RavennaNight]

Hey you're not alone. In the winter, I can't sleep or go out with wet head. I start getting stuffy and sneezy. I am also a chronic allergy sufferer. I did make a valiant effort 2 weeks ago to go out in the colder air with a towel dried head to see what happens. Well, the next day, I was running to the CVS to get my zinc/vitamin C lozenges because I felt chilled. I had the chills and that general feeling of malaise/body aches one gets before getting stuck-in-bed-miserable sick. Luckily I avoided the cold by dosing the lozenges and OJ and hot tea. As far as the winter goes, I am officially blowing out but with lots of cones. To balance I am going to stretch out my washes to no more than once or twice a week.

[AprilElf]

I'm sure I read somewhere that it is a myth you could catch a cold by going to bed with wet hair, even though it seems to me there would be some truth to it. :confused: Maybe some people are more susceptible than others.
Luckily, I've never had a problem with still having wet hair when I go to sleep. As long as my braid or loose hair is thrown up behind the pillow, and the blankets are tucked up around my chin, I'm sweet ... :p

[Robbi Dehlinger]

I would not weant to sleep with wet hair, unless maybe it were braided?

I confess to blow drying, but it is COLD blow drying, not hot:)

[Pierre]

I sometimes go to sleep with wet hair, and I put my hair in a Buff and cover up completely including the head. On cold nights I add more layers. I find colds are caused by too much work and not enough rest.

[Robbi Dehlinger]

I sometimes go to sleep with wet hair, and I put my hair in a Buff and cover up completely including the head. On cold nights I add more layers. I find colds are caused by too much work and not enough rest.

But wouldn't going outside on a sub zero day with wet hair tend to cause you to catch a cold???

[WURW]

I have also read that you can't get sick from being wet and cold but without fail if I get chilled I get sick.
I never went to bed with wet hair before LHC but since then have experimented to avoid blow drying and find I can handle very well as long as I don't leave it all down on my neck. My hair is chin length so putting up and over the pillow doesn't work for me but just tying up as much of it as will stay on top of my head works. I don't feel chilled at all even though the top may still be damp in the morning.

[mortiziia]

Thank you all for your replies and specially Alethia and Kirin, that was very informative. I have decided against evening showers to avoid both the problem and the blow-dryer, and I'll need to learn to wash the scalp only.

[HairColoredHair]

Here's the thing about wet heads...

A cold, wet head does not, in and of itself, cause anyone to become ill. It simply causes you to be cold, which for some people can make you feel quite 'off' in and off itself.

However, becoming cold, especially in certain people, can lower your immune system's response and therefore make you more open to illness.

[Jessikinz]

I tend to get sick when I go to bed with damp hair. Now that its getting colder, I'm starting to plan my wash days ahead of time. My hair takes about 2 hours to air dry and if its still damp, I put it in a scrunchie bun on the top of my head and I feel fine the next day. I get pneumonia this time of year, and when I catch it before it starts, I make sure to take extra care of myself. So making sure that my hair isn't dripping wet before bed is pretty important for myself.

[jel]

This is an interesting topic for me. As a teen, I used to go out into sub-zero temperatures and snow with dripping wet BSL hair, and had absolutely no problems. In recent years, though, my sinuses have started to complain if my head is exposed to coldness. It includes cold weather, wind, and even strong air conditioning in the summer. :(

Since the cold weather started here I switched my hair washing from mornings to evenings (I still shower every morning, but only wash my hair twice a week). I go through 3 thick towels to really soak up the wetness, and if it's bedtime and my hair is still wet, I use a hairdryer. I just dry the roots, quickly, and on high heat (but with 'protective' ions - though I don't trust the hype too much!). Depending on how wet my length is I might put a towel under my head, but I normally just fling it all over the edge of the pillow. Damp length doesn't bother me but a cooling wet scalp does!

[Michou]

I also need to go to bed with dry hair, otherwise I wake up feeling feverish and have a sore throat. It doesn't linger all day the way a cold would, but it definitely is a reaction to having had wet hair in bed.

[longhairedfairy]

Wet hair leads to loss of body heat through the head (where the most heat gets lost anyway). Loss of body heat leads to lowered resistance to viruses, etc. That can cause you to become more susceptible to a cold.
In other words, it is NOT a myth that it could cause you to get a cold, INDIRECTLY. It is a myth that it GIVES you a cold. You have to be exposed to something for that to happen.

[RavennaNight]

All I can say is thank goodness for unseasonably mild weather in NY. I can stave off the blowdryer for a while. I really don't want to use it often, even though I cone my hair in prep for it and leave conditioner in my hair.

[helen2806]

Wet hair leads to loss of body heat through the head (where the most heat gets lost anyway). Loss of body heat leads to lowered resistance to viruses, etc. That can cause you to become more susceptible to a cold.
In other words, it is NOT a myth that it could cause you to get a cold, INDIRECTLY. It is a myth that it GIVES you a cold. You have to be exposed to something for that to happen.

yep my bio teacher taught us this - lower body temp (e.g. from wet hair) means more energy is needed to maintain your core temperature, so less is available for immunity purposes

[StephanieB]

Actually, that's only partially correct.

Wet hair does not necessarily lead to body heat loss.


YES, drop in core body temperature drops one's natural immunity defences, as stated.


But, if you put a wool hat with good coverage over a headful of wet hair, for example -- you will not have body heat loss. :)

The key is to maintain the warmth at the top of your head. A woolen hat will do just that, nicely. :)
Acrylics and other synthetics might not, though... so use wool.




No - I'm in no way any part of the wool industry. lol

[Samara Morgan]

I go to bed with my hair damp usually and apart from feeling a bit shivery, I feel fine. I always though colds were caused by a virus, or have I got that wrong? :suspect:

[neon-dream]

It doesn't make much difference to me, I dont really notice anyways
hehe
xx

[longhairedfairy]

Actually, that's only partially correct.
Wet hair does not necessarily lead to body heat loss.
YES, drop in core body temperature drops one's natural immunity defences, as stated.
But, if you put a wool hat with good coverage over a headful of wet hair, for example -- you will not have body heat loss.
The key is to maintain the warmth at the top of your head. A woolen hat will do just that, nicely.
Acrylics and other synthetics might not, though... so use wool.
No - I'm in no way any part of the wool industry. lol

I meant with no extra protection:) If you have something to compensate then it's not as likely to be a problem. Wool is your friend:)

[Forever_Sophie]

I've only gone to bed w/ damp hair recently, and while I didn't get a cold, just the idea of it gives me a headache! I avoid it as much as possible...plus, I'm always cold and it just sounds like it'll make me colder!