I Tried These 3 Viral Overnight ‘Sleeping Hairstyles’ to Simplify My Morning Routine
Jas is the Senior Content Specialist at Adore Beauty. Beauty admirer turned addict, Jas comes from a diverse media background with her words featured in The Age, Sydney Morning Herald and Broadsheet. A ‘culture vulture’, being across what’s trending is in Jas’ DNA. When she’s not putting her body on the line for “work”, she’s rummaging through vintage stores or binging Bravo.
For all of my quintessential Virgo quirks, being a “morning person" is not one of them.
I think my cat knows it too. She arrives on cue for cuddles precisely when my alarm goes off. Any motivation I have to get up and at ‘em dwindles further with every hit of the snooze button.
It’s her fault, really, for being so damn cute. But like most good things in life, it comes at a cost. In this case, the sacrifice of just… one… more… minute is my morning routine.
Specifically, my hair, which more often than not gets swept up into a slick-back bun because I’ve run out of time.
Lately, though, I’ve been challenging myself to try different hairstyles that go beyond the default. Being on time would be a bonus, too.
I’d been seeing a lot of buzz about overnight/sleeping hairstyles on my social feeds and was curious to see how they’d work on my fine hair. Most videos showcase Rapunzel-like tresses, but what about us short-haired folks?
So, I finally mustered the courage to try them.
Did these viral hairstyles live up to the hype? Let’s find out.
1. Heatless Curls.
The first and probably the most popular overnight hairstyle is heatless curls.
This viral hairstyle essentially involves wrapping your hair around a soft, satin-covered foam wand to wake up with a bouncy blowout come morning.
As someone who grew up in the era of curling rods, I'll admit, I was hesitant.
I still have memories of waking up with ringlet curls that made me look like a not-so-cute version of Shirley Temple.
But after watching countless TikToks of people unravelling their hair to reveal perfect, voluminous curls, I decided it was time to give it a go.
We have a few heatless curling sets on site. I went with the Kitsch The Satin Heatless Curling 3 Set.
My heatless curls review:
I was relieved to discover they were as easy to use as they looked. They were also comfortable enough to sleep in, and I’m a light sleeper.
For best results, it’s recommended that your hair be 80-90% dry. It also helps to add a styling mousse or spray to help hold the curls, especially if your hair struggles to hold shape.
So, I washed my hair and prepped it with the ColorWOW Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer 195ml for hold and hydration overnight.
What I love about this product is that it gets to work before your hair is completely dry, adding body and bounce from the root, without any sticky or greasy residue.
The process is similar to braiding: Take a section of hair, wrap it around the rod (away from your face), and continue adding hair as you go, ensuring the hair is wrapped tightly for better definition. You then secure the ends with scrunchies.
The next morning, I was honestly shocked. As I wiped the sleep from my eyes and unwrapped my strands, I saw the most perfect curls staring back at me in the mirror.
I’ll just leave this here:
I don’t think I’ve ever achieved such perfect curls, even with a curler!
I gave them a spritz of the Davines MORE INSIDE Dry Texturizer 250g to set them, and they didn’t budge all day. Through wedding site visits, hail and even torrential rain, these strands didn’t flinch!
Suffice it to say, I'm a heatless curls convert.
2. Twist Braid.
If you want to try an overnight hairstyle but aren’t ready to commit to heatless curlers, the twist braid is an easy, free alternative.
It mimics a similar process to the heatless curlers, sans the rod. The result? Tight twists that transform overnight into beachy, mermaid waves.
No stranger to a crimper, I was curious to try this heatless hair trend.
I followed this TikTok as a guide:
@cerecampbell will be doing these heatless curls all summer 🌟 ib @olivia dayton #heatlesscurls #beachwaves #hairtutorial #hairstyle ♬ original sound - Cere
The creator (@cerecampbell) begins by splitting her hair into two sections.
She then takes a section of hair at a time, twisting it away from her face and adding more hair each time, before securing the ends with a scrunchie.
For extra comfort, you can twist each section into loose buns to sleep in.
My twist braid review:
To keep my hair hydrated and frizz-free overnight, I spritzed the Davines OI Milk 135ml first.
You can create this look on damp or dry hair—I chose dry and used this leave-in to help set it. It also makes your mane easier to work with.
So, how did this viral hairstyle stack up?
In the words of an icon (Ru Paul): Mermaid realness.
When I unravelled my braids the next morning, I was greeted with soft, bouncy waves.
I sported my sea-inspired strands into Adore HQ and received a wave (sorry, I couldn’t help myself) of compliments–one of the many reasons I love working with women.
Turns out, the waves were the perfect match for my plum locks. Ariel, anyone?
Final verdict: I’ll be keeping this playful hairstyle up my sleeve for summer. All I need now is a little starfish clip…
3. Twist Bun.
There’s nothing worse than going to bed with picture-perfect curls only to wake up with flat, lifeless hair.
Cue, the twist bun.
At first glance, it seemed too good to be true—a simple twist bun that preserves and perfects a bouncy blowout. Could the answer to all our hair woes really be this easy?
As demonstrated in the TikTok below (skip to 1:45), this overnight hairstyle involves sweeping your hair up into a high ponytail (for comfort while sleeping), twisting it, and wrapping it around to secure it with a scrunchie.
If you have a fringe, you can wrap it in a hair roller or simply style it in the morning.
@maddigood Replying to @☆ Céline ☆ overnight bun tutorial #hairtransformation #haircaretips #overnightcurls #thinhairhairstyle #overnightblowout #overnightbuns #viralbuntutorial ♬ original sound - Maddi Good
A satin or silk scrunchie is preferred to reduce friction and fizz, and you can sleep in a hair wrap to protect your hair and keep it from your face.
My twist bun review:
This hairstyle is a fantastic option for my fine-haired friends who struggle with volume. The shape of the ponytail naturally adds body and lift.
It’s also great for keeping styled curls intact while you sleep.
I found it works best on dry hair with a spritz of my Davines texture spray. A couple of drops of hair oil on the ends helps keep it soft and shiny too, ensuring your strands are protected while in the updo.
My current go-to is the VIRTUE Healing Oil 50ml.
The next day, I carefully unwrapped my bun and let my hair fall naturally. Per my hairdresser's recent sage advice, I used my fingers–not a brush–to gently comb through my strands.
While it didn’t quite give me the salon-quality style I had hoped for, it added voluminous waves that made my fine hair look fuller and kept my roots fresh overnight.
It's comfortable enough to wear to bed and only takes a minute to create.
All in all, this is a quick, easy and reliable option ideal when time is of the essence.
I can also see this being an excellent travel-proof hack when I don't have all my haircare products and tools at my fingertips.
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