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Is it okay to sleep when hair is wet?

Though sleeping with wet hair won't give you a cold, Dr. Shah says that it does increase your risk of developing a fungal infection of the scalp. Fungi, such as Malassezia, can lead to conditions like dandruff or dermatitis, according to Shah, who recommends going to sleep with dry hair when possible.

healthline.com - Sleeping with Hair Wet: Is It Bad for Your Health? - Healthline

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We got the lowdown from two doctors on sleeping with wet hair. Here’s what could happen if you do hit the hay with a wet head and how to go about it the right way. Turns out, your mother was wrong — at least about the cold. Sleeping with your hair wet can make you sick, but not the way you think.

Have you skipped a late night shower because you were too tired to blow dry, hearing your mother’s voice in your head telling you that you’ll catch a cold if you sleep with wet hair?

There’s no need to lose sleep over what your mom told you about getting sick by sleeping with wet hair. The risks are pretty minimal, but there are a few you should be aware of before thinking you can hit the hay sopping wet every night.

Getting sick

Catching a cold appears to be the most common concern thanks to folklore and protective mothers and grandmothers. Though they’re usually right in general, they’re wrong about wet hair and colds, according to Dr. Chirag Shah, MD, a board-certified emergency physician and cofounder of Push Health, an online healthcare platform. “There is no evidence that one can catch a cold from going to bed with wet hair,” Shah said. “When one gets a cold, it is due to being infected with a virus.”

Sorry moms.

The common cold doesn’t really have anything to do with being cold, but rather being infected with one of over 200 cold-causing viruses, usually a rhinovirus. The virus enters your body through your nose, mouth, or eyes and is spread through droplets in the air when an infected person sneezes, coughs, or speaks. You can also catch it by touching a contaminated surface or hand-to-hand contact with an infected person. In the United States, colds are more likely during colder months because of the start of the school year and people spending more time indoors, in close quarters with others.

Fungal infections

Though sleeping with wet hair won’t give you a cold, Dr. Shah says that it does increase your risk of developing a fungal infection of the scalp. Fungi, such as Malassezia, can lead to conditions like dandruff or dermatitis, according to Shah, who recommends going to sleep with dry hair when possible. Along with the fungus naturally present on your scalp, pillows are also a hotbed for fungus. It thrives in a warm environment and a wet pillowcase and pillow provide the ideal breeding ground. An older study on the fungal flora found on bedding discovered anywhere between 4 to 16 species per pillow tested. This included Aspergillus fumigatus, a common species of fungus responsible for causing severe infections in people with weakened immune systems. It can also worsen symptoms of asthma.

Hair breakage

Sleeping with wet hair does impact the hair itself. Along with the inevitability of waking up with some seriously kinked bedhead, you may also do damage to your hair. “Hair is at its weakest when it’s wet. The main risk (other than cosmetic ones) is breakage of hair when tossing and turning while sleeping,” said Dr. Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, MD, a New York City dermatologist who’s board-certified in dermatology and dermatopathology. Mudgil warns: “This is particularly an issue if hair is braided or in a tight updo, which adds more tension to the hair shaft. If you can’t avoid sleeping with wet hair, your best bet is leaving it down.”

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If your menstrual cycle lasts 28 days and your period arrives like clockwork, it's likely that you'll ovulate on day 14. That's halfway through your cycle. Your fertile window begins on day 10. You're more likely to get pregnant if you have sex at least every other day between days 10 and 14 of a 28-day cycle.

webmd.com - Am I Ovulating? Physical Signs That You Are Fertile - WebMD

To boost your chances of getting pregnant, it helps to know when you're ovulating. Then you'll know when you and your partner should be having sex. Ovulation happens halfway through your cycle. Every woman’s cycle is different, so you have to pay attention to the signs. There are many ways you can tell if the time is right. What Are Ovulation Symptoms? Here are the signs you may have when your body releases an egg: Your basal or resting temperature falls slightly, then rises again. You can use a special thermometer to check your temperature every morning before you get out of bed. You’re most fertile 2 or 3 days before your temperature rises. Your cervical mucus becomes clearer and thinner with a slippery consistency, like egg whites. You may also notice: Tender breasts

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Cramps But these symptoms don’t always mean you’re ovulating.

How to Track Ovulation Symptoms Mark your calendar Take note of when your period begins and ends and know how long your cycle lasts. Doctors say it's best to have sex at least every other day, especially during the 5 days before you ovulate. They call this your "fertile window." Your egg only lives for about 12 to 24 hours. But sperm can survive for a few days inside your body, so it's ideal to have them already there waiting for your egg.

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